


Days Gone by Tokyo:Tentacle

by stormanimeffwriter321



Series: Tokyo Tentacle [1]
Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Angst, F/M, Friends With Benefits, Friendship, Mind Control, Past Lives, Prequel, Sex, Unrequited Lust
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-06-21 03:26:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 49,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15548565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stormanimeffwriter321/pseuds/stormanimeffwriter321
Summary: This is a prequel to the fic Tokyo Tentacle. Before the events of Tokyo Tentacle. Younger days of Anteiku's staff. They need more love! (Also, ghouls are called tentacles here, okay?) If you can't relate, better to read the first fic to understand.





	1. Apes, Dogs and Ravens Arc (Part 1)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul.**

**A/N: This is a prequel to the fic _Tokyo Tentacle_. Before the events of Tokyo Tentacle. Younger days of Anteiku's staff. They need more love! (Also, ghouls are called tentacles here, okay?)**

**DAYS GONE BY TOKYO 01  
Apes, Dogs and Ravens Arc - EP1**

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

A young ginger-haired male tentacle jumps over a car. He was holding onto a loaf of bread, his gray hood keeping his identity a mystery to those who were chasing him. He was being followed by a dozen of tentacles who were also wearing similar gray hoodie like he does.

Jumping over the car, the dozen who followed him hopped over it like there was a stampede, making the person inside the car panic in fear that he will be hurt.

"Over here!"

All of them had different colored tentacles also of different numbers. But their leader who was in front had three tentacles.

He led his team to an alley, taking a sharp turn and motioning for everyone to climb up the building as soon as they turned to the alley. The tallest within his team halted in front and the rest of the tentacles used him as stepping stone to leap on the second floor of the building.

When everyone was already on top, the last man also jumped up and their leader being the last to follow.

"Woohoo! Devil Apes did it again!"

Raising the long loaf bread in victory, they celebrated, shouting and clapping their hands and jumping in the air.

When he lowered his arm, the loaf of bread was gone from his hand. "What the-?!"

"Enji-san, up there!"

Looking up at the ceiling, they see four tentacles up there. Two were female and two were male. They were using their tentacles to hang from the ceiling. The girl in the middle was the one holding the loaf of bread.

"Give it back thieves!" the head of the Devil Apes yelled.

"Consider this as payment for the last time." the girl says and swung herself towards the window, jumping out of the building and the three followed her lead.

"Black Dober!"

Growling in anger, the head of the Devil Ape grew his tentacles and turned to his people.

"We outnumber them, this time, let's tear them to pieces and show them not to mess with us!"

Now in pursuit of the Black Dobers, they were all angry. And they ought to be really violent towards their enemy for the past year.

"Irimi-san, they're gaining on us!"

"All for a loaf of bread..." the girl muttered and smirked. "Then let's mock them before we retaliate."

Stopping on their tracks, the loaf of bread was divided into several pieces, passing it towards the other members and eating it before the Devil Apes arrive. This made the other team really angry.

"BLACK DOBERS!"

"DEVIL APES!"

The two teams clashed, fighting each other in the middle of the street in broad daylight. This ought to get a lot of attention from CCG. The humans nearby chose to leave their cars and everything behind.

Screaming in fear, they ran off. But some stayed and dared to take pictures of the scene and also filming it.

The leaders of both sides clashed while their followers fought separately. "For a little girl you fight okay." Enji flattered.

"Maybe you're losing your ability to see, ape. I'm taller than you!"

Their tentacles slammed towards each other as if it were swords. Enji happened to have the advantage because he had three tentacles that manifested from his back while Irimi only had two.

Enji used his extra tentacle to grab her arm, pulling her close to him so he can punch her hard in the face, forcing her to fall on the cemented road. Then he jumped and lands his fist on her stomach. Irimi rolled to the side and his fist lands on the ground, making a crack.

"A dog must be taught a valuable lesson." Enji says, cracking his knuckles.

Getting back on her feet, both her tentacles stretched towards Enji, binding both his arms and squeezing it tightly. "What kind of lesson can a primitive like you teach me, huh?"

"Never to mess with an opponent you can't take!"

Three of Enji's tentacles stretched towards Irimi, the end was slowly turning sharp. One was headed to her head, the two were headed towards her body. The girl merely smirked. "Learned that a long time ago."

Taking one step forward, her tentacles began to discharge a transparent liquid and wetting the Devil Ape leader. When his tentacles were an inch near her face, Enji lit was lit on fire.

Releasing him, Enji was in a panic as he rolled himself on the ground to put the fire out. "AAGGHH!"

The fire was temporal and it left slight burned scars all over his arms. The sleeves of his jacket was tattered thanks to the fire. Enji got back on his feet, snarling at his enemy. The head of the Black Dobers was standing a few meters from him, grinning.

"Truth be told, I was never fond of dogs." he says while waiting for his arms to heal.

"Neither was I fond of apes."

Allowing her enemy to heal, they stared at each other in the eyes for a moment. Waiting for the burns to heal, they turned to the side, left and right, seeing that there are a few people filming them and taking pictures.

"The most number of kills win." Enji proposed.

"We have an even number, better not slack off for a banana, ape."

"I'll throw you a bone after you lose."

Splitting up, Enji went to the left and Irimi ran to the right. The two were quick to destroy the gadgets being used to record the scene of events. But what got them in real trouble is when the blood of these humans were spilled.

CCG investigators arrived and outnumbered both little groups.

The two disregarded their ongoing rivalry as they went ahead to protect their team members from the investigators. CCG was there for the kill, any kill would mean promotion for them, that's why, they showed no mercy even if the tentacles they had to kill were teenagers.

"Enji!" One of the injured Devil Ape member cried out.

Enji tried to reach his hand to help his friend, but one investigator appeared in between them, slashing at Enji and he had no choice but to back away.

He turned to the rest of his teammates who were also killed already. Then he turned to his rival, the Black Dobers had no members left and the remaining survivor was their leader.

Irimi was kneeling down, bidding goodbye to the last member of her team that was killed.

"Black Dober." Enji says as he approached her, protecting her from an investigator who tried to decapitated her. "We can't escape if we fight. We need to work together."

"Kneel and beg and maybe I'd consider." she tells him sharply and they glared at each other.

"Should I put a leash on you and strangle you to death?"

To accept his offer, she killed the investigator that appeared behind him with her two sharp tentacles. Blood splattered on Enji's jacket. "Call me Enji. Enji Koma."

"Irimi Kaya."

The two shook hands and together ran towards the direction of the setting sun.

They were surrounded by the number of investigators, and the situation was almost hopeless. Until a twelve feet tall tentacle appeared behind them, knocking off the investigators and grabbing the two tentacles with him and jumping away.

* * *

The huge tentacle dropped them off the rooftop of the tallest building in the 13th Ward.

"Whoa what are you dude?!" Enji said as he stared at his arms covered in slime.

As soon as Irimi lands on her feet, she shoved the foreign tentacle off her. "Get your slimy tentacles off me!"

"Is this how you thank the person who saved you?" he says as slowly his form reverted to a human's. In the end he wasn't that tall or that scary. He's actually an elder with white hair.

The two exchanged looks before staring back at their savior.

"What do you want from us?" Enji asked, not wanting to thank their mysterious savior just yet.

"You'll have to earn it if you want me thank you." Irimi said and crossed her arms.

"My name is Yoshimura. Doves dubbed me the 'Owl'." he began to say. "Let's say I did a lot of bad things in my life and I want to start anew. That's what I'm doing right now. You two happen to be in the area when I was traveling. I couldn't leave strayed young ones to get killed because they don't know what's right and wrong."

Enji tapped on his chin, thinking. "The Devil Ape is aware of what's right and wrong. Stealing food just happens to be our only option to eat."

"Just 'coz you have more tentacles than us, doesn't mean you know what's right and wrong in this world." Irimi countered.

Yoshimura takes a deep breath, keeping both hands behind his back. "You two survived by stealing food, killing doves, gathering troops to create a group to make you feel like you're home. But there is an alternative way to live. Something better."

"If we follow you, you get to be boss?" Enji asked. "The Devil Ape doesn't bow to anyone."

"I agree with you, ape."

"You don't have to follow me if you don't want to. But give me a month or two to show you a different lifestyle. I am going to the 20th Ward to live there. I have plans to open a coffee shop. Simple yet civilized." the elder tells them. "What do you think?"

"Well... I have no place to go." Enji says, unsure. He turns to Irimi whose arms were still crossed and staring daggers at Yoshimura. "Would you go?"

"Am I your mother? Decide for yourself."

"Die you mongrel."

Yoshimura turned his back on them and starts walking. "If you already decided, just follow me and I won't mind. If you decide a little later in the future, the shop will be called Anteiku." he says and left them.

Enji and Irimi turned to each other. They honestly had no place to go, no past to look back to, just a future to walk towards to.

"Wait up! My name is Enji Koma!" Enji says as he ran after Yoshimura, staying on his right while Irimi arrived from his left. "I am also known as the famous Devil Ape." he bragged.

"Irimi Kaya, Black Dober."

"We beat the Dobers every time they attempt to steal from us." Enji continued to brag when Irimi didn't retaliate earlier. "Since she's a little girl, I showed a little mercy."

"Call me 'little' when you actually grow taller, stupid ape."

"Circumcise me you piece of dog crap!"

"Take your pants off and let me do the honors, horny monkey."

"I dare you to make a move and I will cut you down!"

Yoshimura's tentacles slapped the two in their butt and the two jumped forward, startled by the deed. They were both massaging their butts from the pain. It won't bruise but it sure was painful.

"The heck you stupid old man?!"

"You have no right you ancient garbage!"

When they yelled at Yoshimura, the two were once again slapped. This time, their tentacles manifested to defend themselves in case Yoshimura was planning to hit them for the third time.

"If you two are coming with me, you should learn to get along." he tells them. "I don't want to hear you calling each other names. Your name is Enji Koma, isn't it? Then learn to respect a girl and call her by name. Kaya Irimi, you will do the same for him."

"The hell I will!" the two said in unison.

"Then I refuse to allow you to come with me." Yoshimura says. And the two kept quiet. "Can we start over?"

The two turned to each other again, still glaring. Enji was the first to stretch a hand forward. "Enji Koma. Pleasure to meet you..." he says, refraining from saying anything else.

Looking at his dirty hand, she reached for it and shook his hand. "Irimi Kaya. Likewise."

"Easy right?" Yoshimura stated when he saw the two shook hands and completed a sentence without insulting each other. "Now let's go."

It was easy for Yoshimura to say that, but things were just about to begin. He was only about to meet another troublesome tentacle soon.


	2. Apes, Dogs and Ravens (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yoshimura, Enji and Irimi finally arrives at the 20th Ward. How hard can be to settle down in the 20th Ward?

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul.**

**DAYS GONE BY TOKYO 02  
Apes, Dogs and Ravens Arc - EP2**

Safely arriving at the 20th Ward in the evening, Enji and Irimi stared at the tall buildings, the number of people around, the new environment- they were in awe of the place. It was much more civilized than the 13th Ward (where they came from).

They are both given cloaks to wear as they travel in the shadows. Yoshimura leads them to a complicated maze in the tunnels later on and the next thing they knew was that they arrived in an alley in the middle of the ward. "This is it." Yoshimura tells them.

Enji saw the busy streets, the cars and the honking, people walking back and forth. "It's like a market here." he mumbled.

"Follow me, we're almost near the lot." he tells them and they walked normally, blending in the crowd.

The two stuck close to Yoshimura to refrain from getting lost in the crowd.

The two may not be aware but there is a teenager standing on a rooftop, wearing a raven mask and looking down at them. He locked his eyes on Yoshimura who was pretending not to notice his presence. Then he glanced at the two who was following him around.

Cracking his knuckles, he turned his back on them and jumped towards another roof and another roof, until he's far from them.

* * *

Yoshimura arrives at a certain bar, leaving his two companions at the back alley.

"I'll be negotiating an affordable price for the shop." Yoshimura tells them. "I need you two to stay here and behave. Is that hard to do?"

"No." the two said in unison and the elder smiled.

"Good. I'll be back."

Yoshimura entered the bar, leaving the two alone outside. He's worried that they'd ruin the negotiation if he invites them inside. So it was either he'd risk the negotiation or risk leaving them outside. With their tough nature, he doubts they'd allow other tentacles to persecute them.

When Yoshimura left, Enji sat down the ground, scratching his head. "I'm so tired. Hungry. Thirsty. Sleepy."

"Needs a bath." Irimi added and Enji shot her a scowl. Picking up an empty can beside him, he throws it towards her. She dodged it effortlessly though. "I can smell you from here."

"Oh right I forgot, you're a mutt. Maybe you're the one who needs a bath." he teased back. "But hey, you're afraid of water aren't you?"

Kicking the empty can back towards Enji, the Devil Ape tilted his head to the side to dodge. The can slammed on the wall beside him. "Am I?"

Enji got back up and grabbed her cloak, he glared at her and she glared back. "I respect the man who saved us and one of his instructions is to refrain from hurting you. But don't test my patience, furball."

"The monkey knows the word 'respect', amazing how you learn so fast, ape."

Enji dragged her by her clothes and slammed her on the wall. His fist almost landing on her face if she didn't block it with her hand. She kneed him in the stomach and lands a fist on his cheek.

Irimi was about to throw another blow but Enji's tentacles appeared behind him, pushing Irimi back on the wall. In the dark, with his tentacles blending in the surroundings, she couldn't see it- she couldn't identify his tentacles but she can feel it choking her.

"If I kill you I can just tell him some rotten tentacle got you good." Enji says, his tentacles not holding back their strength.

Gasping for air, the girl's tentacles emerged from her back, black tentacles that discharged a lot of oil. Spilling on herself and their surroundings. Enji had seen that oil before and he doesn't want to be a victim of it again. One of his free tentacles began to hit her in the stomach.

Fire ignited in the background and Enji quickly jumped away, watching as the fire surrounds Irimi.

"Heh, looks like you burned yourself, witch." he mocked.

Irimi coughed and massaged her pained neck. Her black tentacles changing to crimson-colored tentacles and crawled around the fire, as if absorbing it. Enji's eyes were round as he did not realize this.

"Son of a-!"

He quickly backed off but the crimson tentacles on fire dashed towards him, grazing him on his attempt to deflect it.

' _It's moving on its own?!'_

Enji was pushed back to a corner, the fire on the ground being fully absorbed by the crimson tentacles and slapping Enji in his arms, face and body. "Get away from me!"

He slapped one of the crimson tentacles with his bare hands, feeling the hot fire touch his flesh. The crimson tentacles returned to black as the fire also dissipated, her tentacles returned to its owner who was kneeling down the ground, glaring at him. "Touch me again and I will roast you alive." she threatened.

The two heard an applause somewhere and the sound of people laughing nearby.

They looked around and saw by the walls were four tentacles sitting down on something. All of them were wearing unique clown-patterned masks.

"Who are you people?!" Enji yelled.

"This ain't a show!" Irimi also shouted.

One of them, the clown known as "No Face", was the first to jump down to reveal himself. Followed by a girl called "Gypsy". She lands standing by No Face's shoulders, balancing herself.

The other two jumped down behind Enji and Irimi so they can be surrounded. They were also wearing clown masks. One was called "Big Sister" and the other was called "Helter". The four mocked a laugh after seeing Enji and Irimi closely.

"So you are the new tentacles in town." the one called No Face says.

The girl balancing herself on his shoulders began to clap loudly. "They are very young! Very cute too~ Are you two a couple?" she teased with a giggle.

"We're not a couple. I will kill her when I get the chance!" Enji shouts as he stomped forward, attempting to attack the girl called "Gypsy". Irimi grabbed his hand to pull him back. "What?"

"We're outnumbered." she tells him.

"Are you perhaps afraid of our numbers, little girl?" No Face provoked. "We can always offer a two-on-two battle if you'd prefer."

"Don't underestimate us!" Enji exclaimed, yanking his hand away from his rival. "Why are you chickening out now?! We can beat these pups!" he turns to her, locking his eyes on hers. She didn't look afraid but she was hesitant to attack for some reason.

"Are you going to swallow your pride weaklings? Or are you going to conquer this territory?" No Face tried to provoke once again.

Irimi grits her teeth. Pride wins. Whoever they are, no matter how strong they seem to be, they're going down. "The hell with those masks! I'm not afraid of you!" she kicked the nearest empty soda can towards them before approaching them for the offensive.

"That's more like it.." Enji says and covered her back.

No Face and Gypsy smirked. No Face catches the can in his hand. "Easy prey." they both mutter at the same time.

Before Enji or Irimi can go anywhere near them, the Gypsy sends Enji a flying kiss and jumps back up and climbed the walls. No Face winked at Irimi and waved his hand at her before following the Gypsy back on the walls. Their two companions were also already gone.

"They're running!" Enji says and manifested his tentacles in an attempt to reach them.

Sniffing the scent of dead tentacles, Irimi froze. "Doves." she uttered and Enji heard her. "They're coming."

When investigators arrived at the location, they will see the burn marks from the fire and the mess left behind by Enji and Irimi. But there was no sign of any tentacles around.

"Are you sure this is where you saw the light?" the man with one round eye and one squinting eye asked, scratching his head at the empty alley he found.

"One of them probably have the ability to sense our presence." the woman with pale blonde hair behind him says.

"Ah right, the 'super power' theory."

"Look over there." she cocked her head forward where they see the burn marks left behind. The man approached it and stared at it in awe. He liked the sight of that one. He knelt down and immediately took photos of it. "A new tentacle with the ability to manipulate fire or create one." she assumed.

"Or both."

The man then kept his camera and began collecting samples. The woman behind him rolled her eyes and kept her vigilance up. "We need to report this to CCG fast. If we have new tentacles in town, we'll need to widen our hunting range."

"Alright, alright." he said and got back on his feet. "I know I allowed to use your surname on our marriage but I'm still the man of the house, you know?"

"We're not at home." she retorts, making him chuckle.

"Good point."

"Let's get back home."

* * *

In an empty building, both Enji and Irimi were kneeling down the floor full of salt. Both hands behind their backs and an angry Yoshimura brewing coffee.

If he hadn't left the bar that moment and grabbed the two and escape, Enji and Irimi would've been a nice new quinque by now.

"Simple instructions yet you two can't follow." he says aloud and the two kept quiet, looking down on the floor and bearing the pain on the knees. It'll heal but the pain is there. "Get up."

The two were quick to get up from the floor and stretch their legs, brushing off the salt on their knees.

"Clean that mess up." he instructed again and the two raced for the nearest broom. They glared at each other because they grabbed it at the same time. "If I hear another insult from either of you or see you hitting each other, I swear I will give you up to the doves myself." Yoshimura warned them, having the feeling that they will not be able to resist.

Both Enji and Irimi released the broom and it fell on the floor.

They exchanged looks, telling each other that 'I'm being humble, go pick up the stupid broom and I'll find my own!'. They stared.

"Coffee won't stay warm, you know?" Yoshimura says again and this time, the two left the broom to find a different one. Yoshimura secretly chuckled but allowed them to do as they want.

When they finished cleaning the floor, they sat in their respective places. Enji on his right and Irimi on his left.

Yoshimura gives them their share of the coffee. "Listen, I know living a civilized life is hard because you grew accustomed to one that isn't. But this is our only shot. If you ruin it by leading the doves on our tail then there's no future for us in this ward and we'll have to travel again. Do you understand that?"

"Yes Yoshimura-san." the two replied.

"Now about those tentacles in Clown masks, we must be near their territory that time. Please refrain from battling with them. Territory battles are common here than in the 13th Ward." he warned the two. "Now let's rest. Tomorrow we'll start modeling the shop. Paint is ready."

Later that night, Irimi was on the roof of the shop, hugging her knees and looking down on the streets.

Enji arrived later on. "Ah I see you like this spot too." he says and sat a meter away from her. "Whenever I couldn't sleep back at the 13th Ward, I'd climb the highest building and just sit there, thinking."

"There's nothing civilized about this. We're still on about territorial wars and doves still exist." she tells him.

Enji was honestly pissed about the 'Clowns' looking down on them and his fight with her earlier wasn't any better. He heaved a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry for making the first move. If we hadn't fought then maybe we wouldn't have attracted their attention."

He expected that once he'd apologize she would've done the same, but she didn't. She just kept quiet.

"I don't find this civilized either. I don't even like being led by that stupid old man but the Devil Ape has to admit that he's got no place to go and no plan in life other than to survive. That's the same with you too right?"

"I'm going to sleep." she says and climbed down the shop.

"I tried." Enji tells himself with a shrug and also climbed down to rest.

* * *

When Yoshimura woke up he was surprised that half of the side of the shop was already covered in paint.

Both Enji and Irimi were messily covered in different shades of brown paint. The two are positioned in different sides of the shop, painting on their own side, He was expecting to see them wreck a wall or make a dent on the floor but no cracks anywhere.

"Heh, I'm almost done with my side!" Enji bragged, smiling at his work.

"You forgot the corners. Check the guide."

Enji grabbed the picture guide on the table, it was what they were following the whole time. "Oh man! I need more dark brown!"

"Good morning, Enji, Kaya." Yoshimura greets them.

"Ah good morning manager!" Enji greeted back.

"Morning." Irimi also greeted.

"What great progress!" Yoshimura tells them with a gleeful smile. "All that's left is buying the furniture." he added.

"Where do you get all the money anyway?"

"I have my ways. Now finish up with the paint. I'll buy everything else that we need." Yoshimura tells them. "Oh and, feel free to choose your desired room. Since this will be our new home, we live here too."

The two froze and slowly turned to the path to the basement. Dropping the paintbrush roll-up on the floor as they raised for the door.

Yoshimura chuckled and left the shop. "They'll be fine." he tells himself with a smile.

* * *

**Now that they've settled down, time to meet one last member of the team!**


	3. Apes, Dogs and Ravens Arc (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two years had passed since Yoshimura, Enji and Irimi had arrived in the 20th Ward to live a civilized life.  
> But are they living a 'civilized life' for real? Enji and Irimi stopped arguing? I doubt it.  
> About time Renji Yomo makes an appearance, eh? But what kind of entrance is he gonna do?

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul.**

**DAYS GONE BY TOKYO 03  
Apes, Dogs and Ravens Arc - EP3**

[Two years later...]

Anteiku. The coffee shop that Yoshimura founded was opened only in the mornings. He's been teaching Enji and Irimi how to make good coffee but none of them were able to learn this skill for the past two years.

But he was happy to see the improvements between the two.

"Oh more sugar!" Enji says and grabbed the jar of sugar, pouring everything on his coffee.

"Wait I need sugar too, fat ass!" she grabbed the jar from him but it was already emptied. She growled at Enji who snickered.

"Dumb mongrel." he teased. "Refill that one."

Whenever the hand would strike 12, the two will begin their practice to make the best coffee they could. But none of them couldn't do it right. Yoshimura couldn't say if it's because they treated it as a competition or because they just don't like making coffee.

Yoshimura saw that they were zeroing the ingredients with what they're doing.

He sighed and cleared his throat to get their attention. "Enji, why won't you go buy more ingredients for our stocks?" he says and Enji groaned at the sound of that. Irimi snickered. "Kaya, you go check on the doves. Make sure you don't get caught."

"But I want to check on the doves too. I don't want to shop, that's a  _girl's_  job!"

"You know the drill, we shop alternately."

"I did the shopping yesterday too!" Enji shouts at her.

"Okay fine, Enji go check on the doves, Kaya go buy more supplies to restock our loss." Yoshimura decided to be fair. Enji this time began to laugh loudly. "Take some cash from the register."

"Yeah, go and be a girl, stinking mutt." Enji teased and ran to his room as fast as he could.

Irimi scowled at him but did not chase him. She sluggishly walked towards the cash register to take some money, pocketing it without counting it. Yoshimura knew that she wasn't the 'girly type' so this sort of stuff was a bore to her.

Enji later returned wearing a white hoodie and black pants. "Devil Ape is on the job!" he exclaimed happily. "See ya mutt!"

He hopped out through the back door to refrain from passing by her. Irimi just shot me a glare and walked out through the front door.

"They'll be fine." Yoshimura said with a shrug.

* * *

**[Snack Bar, 20th Ward]**

"Ahahahaha! Pay up! Pay up! Pay up!" Kureo demanded loudly.

Kureo was sitting at the end of the table, Kasuka sitting beside him, Aura was next, then Shinohara and lastly was Kuroiwa. The lined up investigators were out for an afternoon drink.

Shinohara and Kuroiwa were laughing in the background as Kureo demanded the payment from Kiyoko Aura.

"She got my eyes! My baby got my eyes!" Kureo declared.

Kasuka tugged on his red tie, forcing him to sit back down. "She's a baby, her eyes are normal." Kasuka tells her husband.

"Shh! I was bluffing!"

"HA! So you're a filthy cheater!" Aura threw at him, crossing her arms.

"No I wasn't! Babies just haven't fully developed their real appearances!"

"What's the baby's name by the way?" Shinohara decided to ask. "I hope it's nothing like Kureka or Kasuo." he teased and Kuroiwa laughed at the name combination. Aura snickered and refilled her glass with another bottle of wine.

"Those are terrible suggestions." Kureo commented. "Goodness I am happy not to ask you about baby names."

And then there was another set of laughter. "We named her Akira." Kasuka replied. "A bright, intelligent baby girl."

"She's our little treasure." Kureo added.

"Awww, now isn't that fitting for a new Mado investigator aiming to be top." Shinohara says and Kureo leaned close to 'whisper' to Shinohara who was very far from him.

"Akira will gain my surname when she reaches 18." Kureo says and Kasuka hits his head. "I'm joking."

"Heh, I pray to the gods that they have mercy on your lovely daughter and not inherit any of your features." Aura insulted. Kureo's round eye twitched, every time he does that it entertains the female investigator.

"I dare you to say that again!"

"We should visit your baby soon. When can we go?" Kuroiwa proposed. "We all have the same break, so we can go together."

"Yeah, I want to see for myself how she looks like." Aura says, wanting to press on the fact that Akira may grow up inheriting majority of her mother's features than Kureo's. Kureo scowled at her, picking up his glass and gulping down its contents.

"She may look like her mom, but she'll inherit my genes. My passion!"

"By the way Shinohara, what about you? Any plan on having kids yet?" Kasuka decided to change the subject before her husband and best friend starts to fight. Literally fight.

Shinohara shook his head. "My wife isn't ready yet. And I'd like to think about my career first."

"OOOH!" everyone echoed.

"Take it easy with your 'career' Yukinori. Too much and you'll stress yourself." Kuroiwa teased, patting his friend in the back.

"Yeah you might end up looking like him." Aura points a thumb at Kureo who would've bitten her thumb off if she hadn't pulled her thumb back. "You are very inhumane and very immature." she tells him.

"So are you."

"Oh please, you are both very unprofessional about this." Kasuka tells them as she pushed the two away from each other. "I'm beginning to envy Aura-san for getting your attention, sweetie~"

When Kasuka hiccuped, Aura and Kureo calmed down and made sure she won't fall off her seat.

"Okay, I think you have too much to drink." Kureo said, worried now.

"Nah, one shot usually gets her drunk already." Aura informed the husband.

"Sometimes it takes two." Kureo bragged.

Shinohara and Kuroiwa, chuckled. "Well, let's not invite her for anymore afternoon drinks. For the baby's sake." Kuroiwa teased.

"I'll take her home." both Kureo and Aura says.

"She's my wife!"

"She's my best friend!"

Kasuka punched the two in their faces without warning, and she turned to her husband with a glare. Her cheeks were beat red and she hiccuped once. "My daughter will not be an investigator. I don't want her to be one."

Everyone was quiet. Whether it was the alcohol talking or personally from Kasuka, they couldn't tell. "Kasuka.."

"My Akira will not be an investigator." she repeated, her eyelids slowly dropping. "She won't be like me."

Shinohara noticed the awkward silence after she spoke. So he cleared his throat. Kureo kept his arms around his wife's waist to keep her balance on the chair.

"Now guys, I think we should get back to work. Kureo, no getting-your-wife-laid. Aura, come on let's leave the couple together." Shinohara instructed before the two start another banter. Aura released her friend's arm and Kureo lifted his wife and carried her in his arms.

Kureo looked up at the rooftop of the opposite building, locking his eyes unknowingly towards Enji. But when he saw nothing, he shrugged it off.

While the investigators were parting ways, Enji hurried to leave the area before he gets noticed for real. His heart beating incredibly fast as he ran away from them.

"They're freaking monsters." he muttered.

* * *

Meanwhile, Irimi was carrying the new supplies she bought for the shop.

She was walking down an alley she's never went through before. Exploring the area while doing this boring job was what she does to keep herself entertained. Memorizing routes like these helps her with escape routes.

While walking, she saw a door on the corner. An art mask studio.

"HySy ArtMask Studio." she read the signboard. "Hmm..."

Entering the studio, she sees various masks hanging on the walls and masks hanging on shelves. There was no one around and it was very quiet instead. But what got her attention was the clown mask hanging on one side.

Approaching it, she placed the groceries down in an attempt to reach for the mask.

"Find something interesting?"

She turned to the voice behind her and sees a man with black hair, tattoos and earrings. His hands were on his pockets, standing close to her. But what bothered her was his eyes. It was a tentacle's eyes.

"Are you-?"

"No. This is contact lens," he pointed at his eye, "and I injected blank ink to make my sclera black." he explained. "My name is Uta and I run this studio."

"Did you make this mask?" she pointed a thumb at the mask that caught her attention.

"Do you like it?" he asked instead.

"Heck no. Just wanted to know if you know who is behind the person wearing that mask." she says. "He and his goofy friends almost got me and my friend in trouble the other day. It would help if I knew his identity."

Uta was poker-faced on the outside but internally, he was smirking mischievously. "How about I make you a mask too? To keep your identity from people like that."

"I have nothing to pay you."

He eyed the groceries on the floor and raised a brow on her. "Spent it for that?"

"That's for the person I work for." she justified.

"Snatch a little money from him. He wouldn't notice."

"This man saved my life. As much as I hated him and his idea of a civilized life, I'll be lower than that ape if I steal from him." she says. Again, Uta's expression on the outside remained the same, but internally he was disappointed.

' _Hmm, maybe the other one is easier to manipulate.'_

"How about I make you one for free then? I have nothing to do, i wouldn't mind."

' _If you fall for it, you're mine.'_

The girl shook her head though. "I don't want to owe anyone. I'll come back when I actually have something to pay you with." she says and picked up the groceries to leave the studio.

"I'll make one for you and your friend." Uta offered again "Sound better?"

"Why are you insisting?"

"You see I have a friend.. his name is Renji Yomo. He's missing. If you find him, then I'll do two masks for you and your friend." Uta spilled the beans. "I've been searching for him but.. no luck."

"I don't care about your missing friend. Meddling around other tentacles' business is-"

"Then how about I'll tell you the identity of the owner of that mask." once again, he had a new offer. He eyed the mask behind Irimi and he was sure she was desperate to know who's behind that mask.

For payback purposes.

"Fine. I'll help you look for your friend. But that's it." she says.

"You're gonna need a mask if you're going to roam around the streets of the 20th Ward." Uta mentioned but Irimi ignored him and head for the door. "My offer still stands in case you change your mind."

Dropping the groceries, she faced him with an annoyed look. "Alright, do one for me and my friend."

"I'll need measurements then." Uta said with a smile, raising the tape measure in his hand. "It won't take long."

* * *

Later that day, Koma was sitting on the rooftop, having two packs of snacks beside him.

Whenever the manager would sleep and everything was cleaned and already locked, he'd sneak out and spend his time outside on the roof. Just as he told his rival before. And of course, eating was part of it.

He opened one of the junkfood, taking a piece and throwing it into his mouth.

Koma was later surprised to find a tape measuring being thrown towards him. "Hey!" Irimi arrives and sat beside him, grabbing his snack and taking a portion of it. "You're welcome." he tells her sarcastically and took the other snack he haven't opened yet. "What's this for?"

"I need your measurements." she says.

"For what?" he threw it on her lap and started to eat. "If you want my bust, waist and hip size, then please be reminded I'm not a woman."

"It's for your face." she swallowed a handful of chips and takes the tape measure, putting it around Enji's head.

"Watch it my hair!"

"Hhord.. stirr.." she spoke with her mouth full. Enji pushes her away and pulled his face away from her.

"Eww, ever heard of proper etiquette? You don't talk when your mouth is full. Seriously, are you really a woman?!" he exclaimed and the next thing he knew, the tape measure was around his mouth. He spits and grabs the tape measure himself. "Okay I'll do it, i"ll measure myself!"

Pushing the girl away from him, he took his own measurements. "This is just disgusting. Where'd you get this anyway? And what is it for?"

"Just do it."

"If you're going to give me a gift, I'd appreciate a new set of flavored chips." he says. "Where do I list my measurements?"

"I'll memorize it."

"You darned mutt, get serious here. You wanted my measurements!"

"I said I'll memorize it!"

The two argued but in the end, Irimi got Enji's measurements. She ruffled his hair and left the premises, making him wonder what made her change all of the sudden. It was odd but he smiled.

"Sooo, shopping for supplies makes her more girly." he assumed.

* * *

Returning to Uta's studio, the door was left unlocked so she could enter.

She was muttering Enji's measurements as she entered so she won't forget. "Hey weird guy! Where are you?"

"Ah I see you're back soon. Took you longer than expected." Uta said as he appeared behind her, taking his tape measure in her hand and searching for something else. "Where's the list?"

"I memorized it. But hurry up and list it down or I'll forget!"

Uta chuckled and led her to the counter. "So what sort of mask do you want?"

"I don't know, anything to conceal my identity." she replied and Uta thought that it was too general. Although he remembered something from her previous argument with her said friend.

"Any nickname perhaps?" he tried to squeeze the info without leaking the fact that he was one of the Clowns who made fun of her and Enji. "Something like 'Raven' or 'Sharp Snake'." he tried helping her think in case the idea didn't cross her mind.

"13th Ward called me Black Dober. And they called my friend Devil Ape." she answered and Uta smiled, satisfied with her answer.

"Interesting nicknames." he says. "So 13th Ward huh? Hometown?"

"None of your business. Just get it done." she says and watched him pick up a pen and a paper from the drawers.

"Do you still remember the sizes?" Uta teased.

The girl began to mumble the numbers she could remember but she basically mentioned any number that came to mind, obviously forgetting the measurements already. "CRAP!"

"Shall I wait for you to measure your friend again?" he continued to tease.

* * *

The following day, Enji was up early to practice making coffee again. He noticed that his rival wasn't awake yet.

"What was the measurements really about..?" he wondered and a thousand fantasies floated in his head. He drooled at the thought but quickly shook his thoughts and opened the kitchen door. "That was really weird. I'd never even think of her being sexy. Tch, not even familiar with proper etiquette."

When he heard the door open, he assumed it was the manager.

He exited the kitchen after washing his hands, seeing that it wasn't the manager but a man about his age or older. He has silver hair and he was quite tall.

"Who are you?" Enji asked. The man said nothing and threw sacks of coffee beans on the floor. "The manager is supposed to collect those. What did you do to him?!"

Again, there was no word from the man. Just silence. Enji gritted his teeth. He didn't like the manager but he has great respect for that man. If this silver-haired creep did something to him... then...

"I SAID WHERE IS THE MANAGER?!"

Manifesting his tentacles, it seemed invisible in the sight of the silver-haired man since Enji's tentacles copies the colors of its surroundings, making it seem invisible.

He said nothing still and waited for Enji's tentacles to tackle him so he could catch it with his bare hands.

Enji was shocked that he caught two of Enji's tentacles with his bare hands. Squeezing on the tentacles with some kind of super strength. "You think you're so cool, ain't you?! WELL I HAVE THREE OF THEM!"

The third tentacle rushed towards the silver-haired's face. He stared at it shortly before yanking on the tentacles he was holding, causing Enji to fall on his knees because of the force.

Landing with a loud thud, Irimi exited her room, rubbing her eyes and yawning as she appeared in the scene. "Keep it down you stupid ape! Someone is still sleeping here!"

"We've got company." Enji informed her. "He hurt the manager!"

Still sleepy, she slapped her face and focused her eyes on the silver-haired guy's face. "Who are you?!" But as she studied his face, he looked familiar. "Wait, you're that Renji Yomo guy right? The one from the studio!"

The one called Yomo began to glare at her. As if he was shocked and pissed that she knew his identity and previous home. "You're acquainted with Uta." he stated and his tentacles began to manifest as well, revealing he had four.

"Who the heck is Uta?!" Enji shouts.

"He and I don't get along. And whoever he's acquainted with, are traitors."

"So you can speak after all huh?!" Enji continued to shout, getting back on his stance to fight. "He's got four tentacles but we got five. What'd you think?" he asked his rival.

"I say we kick his ass."


	4. Apes, Dogs and Ravens (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So Yomo finally made his appearance. What will the duo do? How will they react to a new rival in the team?  
> Well, they won't get along that's for sure.

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul.**

**DAYS GONE BY TOKYO 04  
Apes, Dogs and Ravens Arc - EP4**

Yoshimura was humming happily as he walked back to his shop. He had less plastic bags to carry thanks to the new recruit he had. Although he was worried of what Enji and Irimi's reaction would be, he was sure that the three would get along.

But as he arrived at the shop very early in the morning, he can hear the sound of loud crashing and shattering from the inside.

"Oh no."

He rushed to turn the knob and enter the shop, seeing the mess the three had done inside. It was the least of his worries to see the cracked walls and large dents on the floor, but to see the damaged paint and burn marks in some areas, he clenched his fists.

"WHAT ARE YOU THREE DOING?!"

When he shouted, he caught their attention. Enji and Irimi were happy to see him but Yoshimura wasn't happy to see them.

"Manager!" they both exclaim and ran towards him.

"We thought this guy hurt you!"

"He attacked us first!"

The manager ended up smacking the two in their heads and they kept quiet as they massaged their aching heads. "IDIOTS! He's my latest recruit. His name is Renji Yomo. He's quiet but he could be very helpful around. Less banters for example."

The two exchanged looks and turned to Yomo. They swore they saw him smirk for a short while. "But he-!" Enji received another smack at the back of his head and he glared at the girl who hit him. "You have no right!"

"You're the one who told me he did something to the manager!"

"But you said you knew him and attacked as well!"

"You're all  **grounded**!" Yoshimura shouts. "Clean up this mess! You're all sleeping outside!"

For them grounded doesn't mean staying at home, for them grounded meant to stay outside for the night. And nights in those days are really cold.

"At least the new guy is grounded as well." Enji muttered in victory.

"Let me correct myself, you  **two**  are grounded." Yoshimura says. Forcing the two to stare badly at their new rival.

* * *

**[CCG Headquarters - 20th Ward]**

"Hey Kureo-san, what was that stuff you brought at the lab?" Chigyou asked the man sitting on his desk.

"Kasuka and I saw something odd one night. Then we found traces of fire." Kureo explained and hopped off the desk and sat down on the chair in front of the computer. "You can see here that the fire spread fast through some sort of oil."

"Oookay, what's that got to do with anything?"

"It's obviously from a new tentacle in town!" Kureo concludes but Chigyou didn't seem convinced. "You know they have these- these sucker-thingies and it can discharge whatever they want. It could be semen or female liquids or poison. But now we discovered they can actually discharge something like oil too!"

"That's a mere assumption. We have no proof it's really from a tentacle."

Kureo laughed still, writing on his report happily of his discovery.

"Didn't you hear what I said? It could be anything. Spilled gas, accidental lighter igniting the fire." Chigyou tried to say but Kureo couldn't hear him anymore. Chigyou sighed. "Fine, whatever you want."

Chigyou leaned on the desk, waiting for Kureo to finish writing. "You know, I just have a feeling we'll get close to get Owl if we find this tentacle."

"What makes you think that?"

"I had a feeling the Owl was in the scene when we saw the leftover of the fire." Kureo said confidently. "My wife thinks so too."

Chigyou began to chuckle. "I see where the confidence is coming from, it's because Mrs. Mado 'thinks so too'," he teased. "You only have  _this_  much confidence when Kasuka believes it too."

"Ha-ha, very funny."

"Jokes aside, I think you'll be happy to know that Kiyoko will be transferred to the 1st Ward by the end of the month." Chigyou added and he was right, Kureo  _will_ be happy to hear that.

"Whoa, good news just keeps on coming!"

"I know you two don't get along, but she's just being protective of her best friend, you know that." Chigyou says in case Kureo was planning to prepare a goodbye party to his enemy.

To which, Kureo was already thinking about at the moment. "Hehe, I should prepare something for her to further mock her until the end. Hahahahaah!"

"Until now I do not understand the chemistry between you and your wife." Chigyou muttered.

* * *

The three ended up cleaning and fixing the mess they did for the whole day.

Extra expenses for all the damages done to the shop, so that's basically a paycut to both Enji and Irimi. Again, another reason to hate the new guy Renji Yomo. When the sky was dark, Enji was already preparing to wear the thickest jacket he had and picking the thickest blanket he had as well.

He went over to Irimi's room who was doing the same.

"Yo, you got the snacks?" he asked as he knocked on the frame of her door to get her attention. "I'll sneak some drinks."

Irimi lifted the folds of her blanket revealing the chips she snuck from the storage room as well. Enji gave her a thumb's up and went ahead to sneak some drinks next. So Enji went to the kitchen, making his way to the fridge.

Opening the fridge, he saw a shadow approach him.

"What do you want, new guy?" Enji asked, irritated.

"The manager doesn't want you-"

"So what you'll tell on him? Because if you do, you're just some coward who tells on the manager!"

**.**

**.**

**.**

Enji and Irimi ended up with no snacks or drinks in the end thanks to Enji's provoking, Yomo reported it to Yoshimura. Now the two are stuck outside with just their jackets and blankets to keep the warm.

"Why'd you have to talk to him, dumb ape?" the girl muttered while closely wrapping the blanket around herself.

"I didn't know he was going to tell the manager." he replied. "Don't blame me, you did so much damage back there you stupid mutt!"

The two saved their strength and just chose not to yell at each other too much. But the cold wasn't the only thing torturing them... even the silence.

"By the way.. what was he talking about? This Uta person and being acquainted with him and stuff. You also seem to know him already." Enji says, wanting to bring it up again. "Is it related to the measurements you took  _twice_?"

"On my way back to the shop, I saw this artmask studio. There was a guy named Uta who told me he had a missing friend. In exchange of finding him, he offered to create free masks for both of us."

"Wow really? For the two of us? I doubt he knows me." Enji said grinning, getting the idea that his rival might not be so bad after all. "Should I thank you for the free mask then?" he teased, elbowing her in the side.

"Idiot. I just thought I'd give you something." she tells him, denying the fact that she thinks of him as friend now.

"But that Uta guy... do you think he lied when he said Renji Yomo was his friend?" Enji changed the topic so Irimi won't feel awkward talking about it. "I mean, Yomo didn't seem like he wants to go back to the guy. He even looked at you like he wanted to kill you for even mentioning the studio."

"He sent me the shivers with that stare." Irimi admitted. "He was really intent on killing me the moment I mentioned the studio."

"Hmm, if we want to get rid of Yomo, then we'll need to talk to this Uta guy." Enji proposed. "I don't know what sort of deep grudge they have with each other or what, but if we can get rid of Yomo using him then that solves our problem."

"Oh, that's actually a good idea."

Enji smirked. "See how advanced my brain works?" he began to brag, making the girl chuckle. "Can we go today?"

"No, he's still away. He said he'd be back tomorrow with the masks." Irimi said, remembering what Uta told her before they parted ways.

"Then let's just endure it until tomorrow." Enji says and for once, the two agreed on something.

Unknown to them, the man with the silver hair was peeking out the window, wearing a raven mask.

* * *

Another day arrived and the two woke up shivering. The door opens and they saw Yomo by the door. When they were about to enter, Yomo slammed the door in their faces and locked it again.

"That jerk!"

Yomo left them outside for another hour before opening the door again, since he knew the manager would be awake by then.

When the two entered, they rushed to their rooms to warm up and sleep but the manager, who already woke up, grabbed the hood of their jackets and they fell backwards. "Morning you two."

"Good morning manager." they both say.

"Training begins in thirty minutes, Be ready."

The two swore that Yomo did what he did on purpose. And they WILL get back to him tonight. Just he wait and see.

But Yomo's little door act wasn't the only thing that pissed them off. It's the fact that in training, he was quick to learn and was able to brew coffee that satisfied the manager's taste. 'A show off' they'd think.

From time to time they'd notice short moments where he'd smirk at his victory, as if everything he's doing is to tease them on purpose.

They definitely didn't like him. So they needed to get rid of him soon.

* * *

**[CCG Headquarters - 20th Ward]**

Shinohara was reading a report about another missing child reported recently. They have a suspect named Big Madam who was known t kidnap young ones for some reason. Until now they are not aware where her base is or what she looked like.

"Poor kids..."

He posted the photo on the side of his cubicle where other photos of missing children were. He leaned back, thinking how their parents must be very worried of them.

"Shinohara." he heard someone call him.

Shinohara turned behind him to see Kureo with a big grin across his face. "Kureo, what is it?"

"So recently there's been news about a dangerous tentacle with a hockey mask. Unnamed. Want to catch him?" Kureo offered but Shinohara can sense an ulterior motive there.

"That news is all the way from the 3rd Ward. That's off our jurisdiction."

"Yes but we can always ask for authorization." Kureo reasoned.

Shinohara crossed his arms and raised a brow on his friend. "Okay what is it about now. Is it another hunt for materials for your quinque? You literally have too many quinques already."

"Nah, more like, I want to prove my theories."

"Did you talk to your wife about this?" Shinohara asked.

"She's taking care of our baby right now. I didn't want to bother her." Kureo says, remembering what his wife said the other day about not wanting their daughter to become an investigator like them. "You coming or what?"

"Fine. Give me time to pack up."

"YES."

* * *

**[Anteiku - 20th Ward]**

That night, both Enji and Irimi snuck out of the shop to do what they've been planning. They will tell Uta of Renji Yomo's current whereabouts and hopefully take him away forever. But as the two left, they didn't notice someone following them.

Without warning, four tentacles were approaching them in speed.

The unusual scent bothered the nose of the girl. "Enji, look out!"

Enji reacted to her warning and dodged three of the tentacles headed for his back. He counted the tentacles that he dodged. "That's three.. where's the-?" he was surprised to find the fourth tentacle was wrapped around his ankle.

He was pulled and slammed on the hard cement.

"Enji!"

The two turned behind them, seeing a man with a raven mask. "Who the heck is this now?!" Enji yelled. "If we step into another territory then I'm down for a territorial battle!"

The man took his mask off to reveal his identity, seeing their shocked expression shortly before he put it back on. "That show off..."

"Irimi, you should go. I'll hold him off." Enji instructed. "If we fight him together, he'll just tire us out. But if I keep him here, you can make it back to Uta's place."

"But he-"

"Trust in the Devil Ape." Enji said confidently as he got back up.

"Alright, show him what you got, Devil Ape." she tells him and ran away from them. Enji cracked his knuckles and faced his new rival.

"You're going down Yomo."

Enji was only about to manifest his tentacles when he later finds himself kneeling on the ground, blood dripping from the wound in his abdomen. He was too stunned to process what had just happened.

For some reason he didn't even notice it.

"How did he...?"

Yomo walked towards him, grabbing his hair before kicking him down. "Uta. Is an enemy." he says. "You can't trust him."

"Like hell we trust someone like you!"

"I don't like either of you, but for the manager's sake I am protecting you."

"You just stabbed me!"

Yomo kicked his wound and he curled to a ball on the ground. Gripping on his injury. "My healing abilities is quicker than an average tentacle. Same with my movements. I am just too fast for you to catch."

Enji then grabbed Yomo's foot, hugging it tightly. "You're not going anywhere! The Devil Ape says he'll hold you off here and so the Devil Ape will do that!"

"I told you, Uta is not who you think he is. If you make contact with him, he will play you like puppets. Right now your friend will meet Uta for the second or third time, by then she'll already be corrupted with his lies."

"I don't believe you! I've been leading a team for years and they all trust in me to protect them! They.. they all died on my watch! This time... this time I won't let my new friend get hurt!"

Yomo sighed and smacked Enji on the back of his head as strong as he could to knock him out.

"I wasted too much time." he mumbled and ran after the other one.

But he stopped when a girl with red hair stopped him on his tracks. Her mask was on her hand, she was smiling cruelly at him before tackling him.

"Gypsy!"

"Ren-chan... let's work together again, shall we?" she whispered as her tentacles wrapped around Yomo. Surprisingly someone with a small build like her had five tentacles and they were overwhelmingly strong.

"Leave them alone." he pleads.

"Oh don't worry, I'm not the one who will hurt them." she says and two of her tentacles transformed its tips to a thin needle-shaped object, injecting itself to Yomo's head. Yomo's sight began to blur. He knew it was dangerous to get struck with that needle but with Gypsy's overwhelming strength, he could not escape her grasp. He could only hope that whatever he will be ordered to do, isn't going to ruin everything. "You will."

* * *

"Turn, turn... straight. I think it was left.." the girl muttered, finding herself lost in the alleyways. "That stupid ape didn't have to stay there... he'd just get beaten by that-"

**JAB!**

She rolled towards the wall after the sudden attack, holding on her injured leg. She glared at her attacker wearing the raven mask. "You again..."

"I already taught your friend a lesson. It's your turn." he spoke.

"Heh, I wonder what kind of lesson you can teach us."

"To die painfully." he replied.

Irimi didn't see his tentacles move but she swore she can smell his scent behind her. She turned around but did not see anyone there, instead she saw a part of his tentacle lying on the ground.

**STAB!**

"Back at the shop, I noticed you were sensitive with someone's scent. But it could also be your downfall." he whispered after pulling his tentacles after impaling her from behind.

She falls on her knees, holding on the small hole in her stomach. ' _Crap, he's freaking fast.'_

"With that amount of blood, you will attract the attention of other tentacles who's sense of smell is highly sensitive as well. They will feast on you and you will die slowly  _and_  painfully." he cited how she was going to die. "But if you beg me, maybe I'd reconsider and carry you back home."

"Screw you!"

"Then enjoy tonight's feast." he says, then the two heard the sound of metal rubbing on the ground, footsteps and growling coming near. "The guests are coming. Make sure you serve them well." he says before walking away, leaving her behind.

"Get back here you cursed bird! We're not done yet!"

Even if she wanted to stand, she couldn't. She was bleeding in front and behind. The hole wasn't big but surely it hit her vitals. She gritted her teeth and squeezed her pained stomach.

Hearing the other tentacles arriving. Judgment was upon her.

"A new meal."

"Looks like someone's passed by the wrong side of the ward."

She heard them say. She can bleed to death, get eaten by these cannibals or fight to the death. Of course her only option is to fight to the death. She sat up, manifesting black tentacles in an attempt to protect herself.

' _Whether or not that ape chose to die this way as well, I'll never know._


	5. Clowns Arc (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kureo and Shinohara's journey to the 3rd Ward begins.  
> Manager wakes up with excitement, looks like he's got a gift for his 'children' but where are they? Yomo must investigate that out.

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul.**

**WARNING! Chapter contains slight explicit content!**

**DAYS GONE BY TOKYO 05  
Clowns Arc - EP1**

Waking up early in the morning, Yoshimura got off the bed and prepared himself for the new day. He was already used to the fact that every once and a while he will have to scold the two if they were arguing or fighting, even if it annoyed him at some point, he still smiles and enjoys listening to their banter.

They were like children he's never had.

He glanced at the neatly folded uniforms, customized for Anteiku's official uniform at work. He got it yesterday after the seamstress had finished sewing one set for him, Enji, Irimi and even Yomo.

"Time to make Anteiku an official coffee shop." he tells himself. "But can't do that without uniforms right?"

Yosimura smiled excitedly, wanting to give it to the three.

But as he arrived downstairs, he noticed that it was quiet. There was no shattered mug, no broken plates, no scattered coffee beans, no noise. No life.

"Enji?" he called out as he walked towards the kitchen to peek but no one was there.

It wasn't odd that the two would still be oversleeping at times. He knew that sometimes the two would sneak out of the shop to spend their time on the rooftop just talking. Yep 'just talking'. Debates and insults are still present but no fighting.

He walked down to the basement to their rooms, knocking on Enji's first since he was an earlybird compared to Irimi. But even after knocking, no one opened the door. "Enji?" he called again and held on the knob; it wasn't locked. Of course he took the opportunity to peek and enter.

There was no sign of him. His bed was neatly fixed and his room was clean and organized.

Odd but he decided to knock on Irimi's door next. Again he checked the knob, it wasn't locked either. "Kaya?" he knocked again. But with the same silence from Enji's room, he was forced to open the door but he did not enter yet in case she's changing or something. "Kaya? Are you in there?"

Again, there was no response. He looked around her room, yes it was given she was less tidy than Enji's.

The two weren't around and it was the first time. He doesn't remember kicking them out last night, they weren't grounded. But to be sure, he rushed to open the door and immediately glanced at the side of the shop- hoping to find them- but all he saw was the memory of the two curled up under the blanket. They weren't really there.

"Where did you two go?" he said sadly.

Yomo just woke up and saw that the manager was standing by the front door with a really downcast expression on his face.

"Manager?"

"Yomo." Yoshimura replied and turned to Yomo, unable to hide his sadness. "Have you seen Enji and Kaya?"

Yomo shook his head. "Aren't they on some kind of morning assignment?" he assumed.

"No. Mornings isn't their favorite time of the day." Yoshimura says, unconsciously smiling at the thought. Yes he remembered how hard it was for him to wake the two up and how he would motivate them to get up early.

When Yomo noticed the sadness in Yoshimura's face, he tried remembering what had happened last night.

He remembered chasing the two after he heard their plan to talk to Uta and surrendering him to Uta. He tried stopping them, injuring Enji in the process. But he was stopped by  _her_. He doesn't remember the rest.

"Manager, do you want me to do the groceries today?" he offered so he can investigate.

"Of course."

* * *

**[Unknown locaton]**

Enji was hovering over Roma's body, pecking on her cheek repeatedly. His tentacles were tied in a bundle behind his back but he didn't care. All he cared was pleasing the woman under him.

His eyes were normal yet his expression was nothing more but a man who enjoys the pleasure.

The man watching them do this for the past twelve hours was already bored. "Hey Roma, maybe you should start gathering the information we need already." he says. "We can't sell him if we don't know anything about him."

The redhead giggled and cupped Enji's cheeks. "Say, what's your name again?"

"Enji Koma." he replied, smiling.

"So what are your strengths Enji-kun?"

"My tentacles can copy the color of its surroundings." he answered truthfully. The girl nodded to encourage him to say more. "I have no patience mastering to enhance my senses so I improved my combat skills, trained my body and improved the transformation of my tentacles."

"Ooooh interesting."

Enji then leans closer to the girl to nibble on her neck, tickling her. "What else do you want to know about me?"

"Weaknesses?"

"It's hard for me to fight someone with speed advantage. I get easily annoyed and lose my cool." again, he answered without hesitation. The redhead began to curl his hair, happily listening to him. "I also have a weak spot for kids, I can't bring myself to hurt them unless necessary."

"Any family member still alive Enji-kun?"

This time her hand was playing on his hair, tugging and scratching on his scalp. Enji seemed to like it. "No. I am an orphan living in the 13th Ward. I was dubbed as the Devil Ape by my comrades whom I treated as family."

"Born of the 13th Ward? A very small hometown." she commented, faking a worried look.

"I was the king of the ward. People feared me and my gang." Enji began to brag.

Roma pulled his face close to hers, giving him a smooch. Nico, the one who was watching them, slapped himself. Roma just loves taking her time getting the information she needed.

"So where is your gang now?"

"Dead. Killed by doves."

"Oh you must be so sad~" she says and grabbed his hand to place it in her chest. "Let's ease your sadness, hmm?"

Enji squeezed on her breast that he held on and she moaned. "Please help me forget the sadness." he says.

Nico rolled his eyes and watched them do it all over again. ' _Here they go again... I wonder if Uta and Itori are making any progress.'_

* * *

**[HySy ArtMask Studio - 20th Ward]**

Irimi was lying down Uta's bed, the wound in her stomach still bleeding. A gray cloth was wrapped around her stomach to keep the bleeding to a minimum. Her shirt was hanging by the counter.

Uta was sitting on a chair by the table a couple of meters away from the bed. A wine bottle was on the table along with a set of knives and a mug.

"When are you waking up?" he mumbled to himself.

_No Face was sitting on one of his tentacles while the rest of his tentacles was clawed to the wall to keep him hanging by the wall of the building. Beside him was another member of the group, Helter. The two were watching from above the struggles of the girl below._

_Fire was keeping the other tentacles from coming near her but she'll tire out soon enough, especially with the deep wound she got from Yomo._

_"Do we watch her die?" the woman tells No Face. "Or do we pick up the package?"_

_"We'll pick her up after she tires out. She's a little too violent for us to carry back to the studio." No Face replied, his eyes locked on the scene below. "What did Gypsy say by the way?"_

_"She's busy stripping the other one naked."_

_"She jumped on him THAT fast?" No Face didn't sound surprised, he expected it but it was worth asking. Helter nodded. "She's one horny tentacle."_

_"The guy had looks."_

_"Remind her not to put him in an overdrive otherwise we cannot sell him." No Face says as he tapped a finger on his mask. "I'm getting bored. We should just knock her out. Treating those wounds will be a pain later on."_

_"That's what I wanted to tell you, idiot."_

_"I'm starving anyways, let's make something out of these nuggets."_

Uta left his trance when he heard a creaking sound.

His door opens and a woman with orange hair enters his room. She was carrying two bottles of wine with her. "Progress?" she asked as she placed both bottles on the round table beside Uta.

"No she's not awake yet. Her wound is healing very slowly." Uta replied. "I think our Renji overdid it."

"If this product is defected you know what we do with it." the woman says. "Roma will not like the lack of progress."

"She's been having sex with the other guy for half a day, I think she's the one not making progress." Uta remarked, taking the wine bottle and taking a sip of its contents. "Maybe I should infect her with my-"

"Don't even think about it. If we feed her blood the other clients may not like to buy her anymore."

"Well I've been waiting for her to wake up and my dick is already hard just staring at her half naked. Am I supposed to still wait?" Uta tells her and she sighed. "Just one sip, maybe she'll heal faster."

The woman shrugged. "Do what you want. Don't blame me if Roma gets mad about this."

"She doesn't even have to know." Uta grabbed the wine bottle sat on the edge of the bed. He took a gulp from the bottle and lifted Irimi's head up before pressing his lips to hers to pour the liquid in his mouth to hers.

"You just want a kiss."

"It's a kiss if she were to kiss me back." he commented and repeated the same action.

The woman who was watching them noticed the bleeding had stopped. Her nose twitched. "Uta.. I think it's working." she says. "I can't smell the wound anymore. It's closing."

Uta pulled the cloth tied around Irimi's stomach, seeing that all there was is the blood from the injury but there was no sign of the injury now.

"That was freakishly fast." the woman muttered. "Vulnerable to your kiss?" she teased.

"No. I don't think that's it. Healing process is slow because she doesn't eat." Uta assumed.

"What do you mean?"

"She's just like us. An animal."

* * *

Yomo arrived at the alley where he remembered he last saw Enji. There was no sign of Enji anywhere. He knelt down the ground, the area where he remembered Enji was lying down after he knocked him out.

"Manager is worried, where are you?" he mumbled.

He looked around the walls, seeing that there were marks on the walls of the building. A little close to the top. He knew how the Clowns operate and usually they'd stay on high ground while observing their victims.

"They've been preying on him from the beginning..." he uttered and rushed to the next street where he remembered he stabbed the female tentacle in a vital point.

When he arrived to the said location, he saw the drained tentacles piled up together. The leftover burned marks from the female tentacle's struggle was there as well. Yomo quickly grabbed one of the dead tentacles and slamming its body on the ground.

Leaving dried blood over the burned marks to keep it hidden.

"They took you too."

He looked up in the sky, worried what would Yoshimura say or do if he finds out about this. He already looked really sad when he didn't find his precious treasures. But to find out they were kidnapped and about to be sold?

Yomo clenched his fists. Angry.

"If I tell him... the manager will never forgive me." he contemplated.

He decided not to say anything and proceeded with buying the groceries.

When he got back to the shop, there was no sign of the manager. He thought it was one of the manager's usual routine so he did his task and Enji and Irimi's task as well, prepared the inventory, fix the silverware and clean the shop.

He was alone until evening.

And to be honest with himself he missed the loud noise coming from the two. Their annoying mockery towards him and their pointless plot for revenge against him. They were quite entertaining.

But now there was nothing but silence.

Yomo sighed and waited for the manager to come back, falling asleep as he waited.

* * *

**[3rd Ward]**

"We finally arrived!" Kureo exclaimed and stretched his legs after exiting the taxi. Shinohara paid the driver and carried their bags. "Come on let's start hunting!"

"It's the middle of the night." Shinohara reminded the enthusiastic friend of his.

"Exactly! Tentacles are active this hour. Plus we may get a chance of catching that unnamed tentacle with the hockey mask!"

"Oh boy..."

Shinohara knew he should've rejected the offer and just allowed Kureo to go on his own, but if he did, then chances of Kureo not coming back alive is high. He's reckless despite his skill.

There was no way Shinohara would allow Kureo's baby daughter grow fatherless.

"Come on let's start tracking!"

"We're literally foreigners here. We don't know anything." Shinohara stated but Kureo still seemed confident.

"An old friend lives here. We can ask for her help!"

"Of course."

* * *

**[Anteiku - 20th Ward]**

Yomo woke up when he heard the sound of coffee being poured on a cup. He got up his bed and went outside his room to see Yoshimura sad and drinking alone in one of the customer's table. The set of uniforms was beside him.

"Manager?"

"Ah Yomo, sorry, did I wake you up?" he asked and Yomo shook his head. "You know, when I first met them, my first instinct was to save them from the doves. They weren't a friendly pair but I grew accustomed to their personality."

Yomo listened to Yoshimura and sat on the chair facing him.

"I told them they can live with me and learn to live a civilized life... they can stay for a month or two and then they can leave." he continued. "They stayed longer than that. Two years. And I grew fond of them- attached to them in fact. They're like children to me. Children that I raised. I guess it never occurred to me that they may get sick of living like this and run away."

"No manager, they..."

Yoshimura placed the cup of coffee on the table, not being able to take a sip. "They couldn't even make a cup of coffee. Even so, I loved them."

Yomo gazed on the uniforms that Yoshimura must've prepared for the two. Feeling the guilt eating him alive, he knew he had to say something.

"Manager, they.. they didn't run away. They were taken by the Clowns."


	6. Clowns Arc (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's up to Yomo and the manager to save Enji and Irimi.  
> And of course, Jason's special appearance.

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul.**

**WARNING! Chapter contains slight explicit content!**

**DAYS GONE BY TOKYO 06  
Clowns Arc - EP2**

"Aaaaagh! Enji-kun~!"

The little redhead was in a kneeling position with her butt out. Enji was thrusting behind her while caressing her breasts. The two had been on an on and off heated moment for hours.

Roma's questioning never reached an end because she keeps getting herself distracted.

"Roma, for the love of-!"

"Oh yes sorry, I forgot." she giggled. "He's just so good that I can't help it~ almost like I don't want to sell him anymore."

"Well if he's  ** _that_**  good then it means we can double his price." Nico reasoned with the redhead who nodded at him.

"Good idea." she says and allowed Enji to cum inside her before she pushes him on the bed, her body being the one on top of his this time. "Say Enji-kun, I still have more questions to ask of you if you don't mind."

"Anything milady." he says as he cupped her cheek.

Giggling again, she pecked on his lips. "Are you the high drive or low drive type?" she asked.

"I'm always on a high drive. But I keep my cool in front of others." he replied.

"Oh interesting. Then what about-"

Roma felt his hand cupping on her rack, rubbing on it roughly, making her moan mid-sentence. "Milady is also the high drive type, yes?" Enji spoke as he pleasured her with his hand.

"Oh goodness Nico he's under my mind control and yet he knows how to pleasure me without my orders!" she exclaimed happily. "He's definitely worth a price!"

"See? Now hurry up and finish up with him so we can double the price. The earlier the better." Nico says but Roma allowed herself to succumb in the pleasure. "Itori sent me a text earlier too. She said that the girl was a defect but Uta didn't kill her."

"Uta loves doing what he wants..." Roma moaned. "I'll talk to him when I get back."

"If you even finish up there..." he mumbled.

* * *

**[Anteiku - 20th Ward]**

"There is a group called 'Clowns' within the 20th Ward. They are dangerous and they are always on the hunt for new victims." Yomo began to explain. "I used to be part of that group. We would prey on tentacles that is vulnerable, weak or easy to manipulate. We'd sell them to the Shadows, also called the Underground Market and earn a lot of money."

Yoshimura had a calm reaction as he listened to Yomo's story.

"A unique catch, depending on a human or tentacle's feature or appearance, we can raise the price we tag on them." Yomo continued. "I left the group after they sold my girlfriend to the Underground. To be part of the team, they have a requirement. They want me to be a cannibal, they want me to eat a fellow tentacle the way they do because cannibals have faster healing abilities and more strength. But I couldn't bring myself to do that. Because of my disobedience to that requirement, they sold her and I never saw her again."

He was afraid of what Yoshimura had to say. But the old man was quite calm. "Two years ago when you watched us enter the ward, were you still part of the group?" Yoshimura asked.

"Yes. I didn't have a home so I couldn't run. When I saw you with them, I saw how you were very protective of them despite their incompatible nature. I wanted to be part of your group, until you found me and invited me to join."

The manager nods, finally understanding his side of the story. "I also knew at once that you were looking for a home." he admitted. "But I can smell the scent of dead tentacles from you, so I took precautions, taking my time before I recruited you. You were also quite the troublemaker as I saw."

"Yes I love fighting as well." Yomo conceded.

"So Enji and Kaya are kidnapped by these Clowns?"

"Yes. But it was my fault." Yomo says. "Because I was around, they were provoked to go to Uta, an old friend. I tried stopping them because the moment they set foot in his territory, the Clowns will get them, put them under control and learn everything about them so they can decide what price to tag them."

"I see... that scent Kaya had when she went home one night, I knew it was different." the manager realized. "She met one of them. And it's this 'Uta' that you are talking about?"

Yomo nodded. "I couldn't stop them. I injured Koma because I planned to pick him up after I run after Kaya. But the girl who is leading the group was able to stop me. She controlled me and I- I think I almost killed her."

Yoshimura's expression began to change.

"I didn't mean for it to be this way, manager. I tried searching for them but the Clowns already got them and by now they could be in the Underground trying to find buyers for them." Yomo wanted to say sorry, but it wasn't in his vocabulary to apologize.

"Lead me to this Underground Market you are saying." the manager ordered. "I don't care if these 'Clowns' are known as the king of this ward or what, but I will NOT allow them to torment my  _children_."

"Yoshimura-san..."

"Yomo, I only knew you for a short time. But you're like a son to me too. So please, lend me your strength and let's save your siblings." the manager tells him and stretched his hand forward but Yomo couldn't bring himself to accept. It was his fault. How can the manager trust him? "You injured them or had a fight with them yes, but siblings do that too. In the end, they reconcile."

"Yes Yoshimura-san."

Shaking the manager's hand, he was able to smile for the first time.

"Lead the way."

* * *

**[HySy ArtMask Studio - 20th Ward]**

Irimi wakes up seeing that her injury was no longer around. She looked around the room that she doesn't recognize and sees Uta walking towards her holding her shirt. "Morning." he greeted with a grin. "I thought you'd never wake up."

She attempted to grab the shirt from him but he leaned his hand away from her. He had a teasing grin across his face that reminds her of Enji. "Good morning too." she says and he gives the shirt back to her.

"Do you remember anything before you passed out?" he asked as she wore her shirt back.

"That friend of yours attacked me.. almost killed me actually. Are you sure you two are friends?" when she asked, Uta chuckled. "What's so funny?"

"We're childhood friends, dear."

"Then why was he so mad when I spoke about you?! Heck he even left me to die just because I was talking with you!" as she spouted these words from her lips, it dawned her that Uta.. "Did you... arrive last night?"

"To save you? No. I was passing by and watched you pass out before I decided to jump into action." he teased, making her growl. "But even so, you owe me."

" _OWE_  you?!"

"I still saved you. Treated your wound even. Do you know that medical treatment for tentacles is not available here?" he stated. "Tentacles have healing abilities but injuries like that we need something like a hospital right? We don't have those so I have to-"

"Okay I don't care. I'm leaving."

Uta seized her wrist roughly and locked his eyes on hers. "Your friend is missing. Yomo attacked him as well, dragged him off somewhere." he lied. "But I can help you get him back."

"Enji got involved in this mess because of you in the first place! So you BETTER help!"

"So you  _do_  care for others." he said and released her wrist. "Okay new deal, let's pleasure each other. In exchange, I promise to leave you and your friend alone. You won't hear anything from me anymore, unless of course you call for me."

"Like hell would I do that!"

"You have two memories too right?" he baited. "It's the same with me."

"How do you know about that?"

"I'll tell you after we-"

Irimi grabbed his gray tank top and glared at him but he remained poker face. "Enji's location, never to see you again and answers." she summed up their deal and he grinned. "If you break your word-"

"Oh trust me, you owe me more than you know." he remarked and lifted her chin with his finger. "But no answers for you until I get to cum in you."

"Stop adding conditions!"

"You have a lot to request as well." he defended and beamed at her. "I can tell you're not feeding yourself well. You're in a low drive so it'll take quite time for either of us to enjoy to our finest."

"You're disgusting."

"Am I?"

As soon as the two began to kiss each other, Uta pushed her back to bed and was finally able to slip his tongue inside and have a taste of her saliva. Their kiss wasn't intimate, neither was it about mutual emotions. Simply just to satisfy their cravings as a tentacle.

Uta's tentacle eyes began to activate as he and Irimi prolonged the said kiss.

His black tentacles crawled out from his back, slowly changing its color to crimson. He had four tentacles in total. Without control of what he discharges from his suckers, oil began to drip down on them and the bed.

Irimi felt the oil drip down on her and was able to anticipate the fire about to ignite, resulting to the slap in Uta's cheek later on.

"Hey!"

"Do you want to fry us to death or what?!" but as she realized it, his tentacles looked exactly like hers. "You..."

"Whenever I taste a fellow tentacle's saliva- let's say a kiss- I absorb their abilities for a short time. Your A-cells is a little  _violent_ , just like you I'd say." he teased. "My body is still adjusting to it." he explained. "Now can we get on with it?"

"If you have problems with that," she rolled Uta over and made sure she was the one on top of him. "Then let me help you control it." she said with a smirk.

Uta grinned. "Now that's what I like about you."

* * *

Itori was outside the room, guarding the shop- or well, waiting for Roma and Nico to arrive since they said they were on their way back. When the door opens, she sees Enji wearing only a ragged brown cloak while carrying Roma like a princess.

"About time. Buyers are going to leave soon, we need to go to the Underground." Itori says. But she eyed Enji who was hypnotized deeply with Roma. "How much are we selling him?"

"1,000,000 Yen." Roma replies. "He's a good boy soooo I'm sure many would want to buy him. "Plus he has talent for flirting and a special power!"

Nico was mouthing to Itori that Roma just happened to enjoy Enji's company and the woman quickly understood.

"What about that girl with Uta? Was she salvaged or thrown out?" Roma asked, still letting Enji carry her in his arms even if physically his body was tired from all the sexual intercourse they had to do all day and now carrying her all the way there.

"I have no idea. Uta is still playing with her I think." she says but Roma can sense she's keeping something.

The redhead intimidated her with a stare. "And?"

"Fine. He fed her a little blood and we discovered she was a cannibal just like us." the orange-haired woman gave up and spilled the beans. "Right now I believe he's tricking her into getting to bed with him."

"That idiot! We're here to sell them not recruit them!"

Jumping down from Enji's arms, Roma stomped towards the room where Uta and Irimi were. But Itori and Nico blocked her path.

"Maybe we can tell him to catch up with us. He still haven't gotten the information needed to sell her." Nico reasoned. "Once he had his fun he'll put a price then sell. You know him, he's a tease." he wanted to add 'just like you' but seems that Roma wasn't in the mood for jokes.

"Fine. Tell him. I'll be heading out to the Underground with Enji-kun~"

"I'll assist you." Nico volunteered. "Itori, you handle Uta and make sure he doesn't do anything else."

"Count on me."

The redhead grabbed Enji's hand and looked him in the eye, "Listen Enji-kun, we're going to a secret place 'kay? And I promise you'd enjoy it there as well." she says as her five tentacles appeared from behind her, its tips changing once more to a needle and injecting it to Enji's head.

"Okay." he replied as the needle invaded his brain.

* * *

**[Underground Market (Shadows)]**

The manager and Yomo were wearing black coats and were hidden in the dark while looking for the Clowns. The Underground is filled with both tentacles and humans altogether. The mixed sound of screams, moans, chatters and laughs filled the place.

A mix of liquid from their orgasm and blood was splattered everywhere as well.

"I've never seen this place before." the manager says. "This is horrendous."

"Tentacles buy human slaves here. Or they can also buy fellow tentacles, depends what they want." Yomo explained. "Buyers like Big Madam pays huge when she really loves what we have to offer. She will come all the way from the 11th Ward just to buy."

"Hmm,"

"Homeless tentacles also use this as their home. They live by pleasuring humans and tentacles alike." Yomo added. "But the thing is, once you entered this hellhole, you ain't getting out."

"Who created this place?"

"I don't know. I just grew up, meeting the Clowns and doing what they do." Yomo answered. "Sorry."

"Well then, let's find bigshot buyers. Most likely because of Enji and Kaya's unique abilities from the 13th Ward they can be sold at a high price." Yoshimura concludes and Yomo nodded. Indeed the two have special abilities.

* * *

**[Rooftop of tallest Building - 3rd Ward]**

A young man wearing a hockey mask was sitting down, holding a list of names in his hand. Majority of the names were already crossed off though.

"Hey big bro, I got it cleaned!" another young man arrived, holding in his hand a silver wrench wet from the water he used to wash it. He ran towards his big bro and showed him the wrench he cleaned. "We can start our hunt again. How many more left?"

"Two."

The young man wearing the hockey mask crumpled the list in his hand and threw it behind him. Banjou, the other young man, picked it up to read the list. "Wow I never realized the list was  _this_  long. You really killed them all, huh?"

"Two of them I've never seen before. That's why I can't find them. Reading that stupid list for their names will not help me find them. They could be anyone with a new name."

Banjou looked down on the list, seeing the two names that isn't crossed off yet. "'Mikajiri Mayu' and 'Kaya Irimi' huh?"

"Yes."

"Who are these people anyway big bro? Why are you so bent on finding them all and killing them?" he decided to ask. "Moreover, they're all women."

"They left me." he mumbled. "We were all locked up in one facility. I got in trouble protecting them but when it was my turn to ask for their help, they turned their backs on me and ran away. Leaving me in the hands of those filthy scientists."

"Facility?"

"Then again, I also have a dream every night. I saw that we all died, no one was able to escape." then he chuckled. "But if that were true, I shouldn't be alive right now won't I?"

"True boss. But-"

His boss stood up, squeezing on the wrench in his hand. "We're going to hunt down every female tentacle in every ward if we have to."

"What happens if you kill them all?" Banjou asked, curious what would his big bro accomplish by doing this.

"I will be free from this nightmare."


	7. Clowns Arc (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yoshimura and Yomo will try and save Enji and Irimi. Will they make it in time?

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul.**

**WARNING! Chapter contains slight explicit content!**

**A/N: Confusing terms you see here, the meaning is in** **_Tokyo Tentacle_ ** **fic Chapter 7 (Tokyo Tentacle Guide). But if you've read it from the original fic then we're good.**

**DAYS GONE BY TOKYO 07  
Clowns Arc - EP3**

The orange-haired woman was outside of the room, waiting for Uta to come out. It's been almost forty minutes since Roma and Nico left with the product and yet there was no word from that man yet. She was getting uneasy with what he's been doing.

Deciding to open the door, she peeked inside and hears the moans of the two inside.

"Oh he's kidding..." she mumbled as she saw him thrusting in the girl under him. The two were on the floor, the bed's sheets and blanket was burned for some reason. "I will give him a good smack later."

She closes the door again and sighed.

"He's no different from Roma." she muttered.

* * *

**[Underground Market (Shadows)]**

Roma and Nico were among the crowd, behind them was Enji whose hands were bound by ropes, his face covered by the hood of the tattered cloak he was forced to wear. The little redhead inhaled the air within the area.

The two were also wearing their Clown masks to keep their identity secret.

"Wow this place is getting full."

"We need to find buyers. Most of them already left." Nico says as he eyed the other sellers who were also waiting in the corner. "Big Madam is our only shot."

"If that futa is here then we can hurry and leave already." she hissed.

"He's not a futa. He's just a crossdresser." he mumbled.

The two are later approached by a man with several followers. He was wearing expensive clothing, black coat and tie, the same with his followers that Roma and Nico assumed as his butlers.

The man and his butlers were also wearing masks, but unlike the Clowns' masks, their masks only covers their eyes.

"Any servants you could offer?" the man asked.

"What sort of servant are you looking for, Croque Monsieur?" Roma asked with a grin.

"A plaything for my son." Croque Monsieur replied.

Internally, Roma scowled. ' _If that idiot Uta allowed me to brainwash that girl then maybe we have something to offer this monsieur! Ugh, let's see if I can persuade him to take Enji-kun instead.'_

Intertwining her fingers, she takes a step back and removed Enji's hood that covers his face. "Would this be alright with you?" she offered.

"Running out of products to sell, Gypsy?" Croque Monsieur mocked. "I am in need of a female plaything."

Gypsy eyed the young female butler behind him and grinned. "What of your trusted butlers then? I'm sure they are in need of pleasure as well. Enji here has great skills in pleasuring a woman."

The young butlers, Les épines and Rose, looked up at their master.

Croque Monsieur was quiet for a few moments, contemplating on Gypsy's offer. He went all the way there just to buy something for his son, but his servants were also in need of pleasure from time to time.

' _Just buy him already stupid old man.'_

"How much is he?" he finally spoke.

Roma was about to say he would cost a million yen but it dawned her that what Croque Monsieur is looking for is a plaything and not someone who cares for anything else. Not his super power, not his charms, just his body.

' _Crap! I just found myself negotiating with the wrong person.'_

"He would be 30,000 yen." she lowered her bidding for the sake of convincing this man to buy him. Nico was surprised she'd lower the price below 50.

"Hmm, a reasonable price for a tentacle as him. I would like to study his physical appearance. And tell me everything about his tentacles, his past, and such." the man demanded. "I don't want any troublemakers within my home."

Roma pulled Enji forward and stripped the cloak off of him for the young female butlers to see.

"His name is En-"

**ROOOOOOOAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRR!**

**"IT'S THE OWL!"**

When they heard someone scream, Croque Monsieur, his butlers and the Clowns turned their attention to see one of the SSS-Rated tentacles in history. Owl. He was covered in a ragged brown cloak, his body was covered in a thick gray flesh, wearing a skeletal mask to cover his face.

Its roar was loud and it echoed throughout the underground.

"Well, well, if it isn't our lucky day." Croque Monsieur began to say.

' _Aaargh! Things are getting worse by the minute..._ ' Roma thought in irritation. ' _Then again, if I skin this Owl alive, WE will be SSS-Rated.'_

"I will be cancelling the transaction, Gypsy. We have an Owl to catch." the man tells her as he positioned himself to attack the Owl. His butlers following his lead.

The redhead grinned. "Nothing personal monsieur." she tells him and eyed Nico. "Keep Enji, I'm getting that Owl first." she ordered as she took the first jump towards the Owl. Other tentacles within the area also leaped in action in an attempt to defeat the Owl.

Nico picked up the cloak to cover Enji with but as he stood up again, he saw Yomo wearing his Raven mask, staring him down.

"Renji. Are you the one behind this?"

"I just want my friends back." he replied.

"You're not getting them back, you know that."

"I'm not. But he is."

Yomo cocked his head towards the Owl who was roaring angrily in the scene. All tentacles jumping on him were powerless. He'd swat them like bugs and send them flying towards a certain direction.

"You care about Roma. Tell her to come home and I'll take my friends back." Yomo warned. "The Owl is in no mood to leave anyone alive until you give them back."

Nico gives the cloak to Yomo in surrender. "I don't like fighting with you or any of the Clowns. I'm not part of the group to argue with my groupmates." he says and Yomo takes the cloak from him. "We only have this guy with us."

Yomo turned to the hypnotized Enji that was watching Roma from a distance, smiling. He sighed and covered Enji's bare body with the cloak. "And the girl?"

"The girl is with Uta back at the studio."

Nico saw the glint in Yomo's eyes when he mentioned Uta's name. "I know you're angry at Uta for what happened. But he wasn't the only one who did it. Roma controlled him- us."

"I don't want to hear any excuses from any of you."

"We still care about you Renji. We want you to come back with us."

"I'm not coming back. And if you want to have a leader still, then tell Roma not to bother me or my family again." Yomo once again warned as he pulled Enji by the arm to follow him.

After causing a commotion within the Underground for five minutes or so, the Owl began to manifest its tentacles. Seven tentacles all in all.

"S- Seven tentacles?" Roma said, stunned.

The Owl began to spread his tentacles in random directions, his suckers preparing to discharge something. All the tentacles and humans within the area began to run away from him, excluding Roma.

"I'm not scared..."

"Roma! We need to retreat!" Nico tried to convince.

"No, we'll-"

"We can't outmatch him in our current state! You know that!"

Gritting her teeth, she glared at the Owl who glared back at her. Because of his mask it's hard to tell where he was looking at but she knew he was glaring back. Her instinct says so.

She allowed Nico to take her hand and lead her away from the Owl. The Owl then began to discharge smoke that filled the whole Underground. Anyone who inhales too much of the smoke he emitted will lose consciousness.

With that cover, the Owl makes his escape and meets up with Yomo at the rendezvous point.

* * *

Enji was lying down the ground when Yoshimura arrived in his human form. Yomo was sitting beside Enji, his mask on his hand.

"Enji!" the manager quickly checked to see how Enji was doing. Enji's eyes were open, locked on nothingness, the smile across his face still stuck there as well. His body wasn't responding to anything, like he was just a mannequin. "What happened to him?"

"He's still stuck in Roma's mind control aftereffect." Yomo explained. "It'll wear out soon."

"Mind control? I've never heard of such power."

"Some members of the Clowns are escapees from a facility in the 3rd Ward. They don't talk about their past but they say that some parts of them was thanks to the facility they despise." Yomo says.

Yoshimura then looked around for another person. "And Kaya? Was she sold already?"

"I'm going back to get her."

"If you can't face your past friends then I will do it." Yoshimura offered but Yomo shook his head.

"I now understand why you want to live a normal life. Whether human or tentacle, they fear you for some reason." Yomo says. "The way everyone preyed on you back at the Underground... I don't want to see it happen again if you crash at the studio."

Yomo stood up and wore his mask again.

"I promise you can trust me to save your children didn't I?" he says. "Put your trust in me until come back."

"Alright. I trust you, Yomo."

When Yomo heard him say so, he hurried to leave and went for the studio. Yoshimura on the other hand carried Enji in his arms and carried him back to Anteiku.

* * *

**[Hospital - 20th Ward]**

Kasuka was carrying the baby in her arms, smiling widely as she watched her little one sleep comfortably in her arms. Aura was standing beside her, eating a granola bar and was rambling on how Kureo caused her transfer to the 1st Ward.

"He did it didn't he? He was behind it?" Aura continued to ask.

"I know you two hate each other but Kureo has no power to do that." Kasuka tells her friend.

"Where is he anyway? I want to ask him personally." the woman says as she swallowed the last bite of the granola bar in her hand.

"He went on a hunt at the 3rd Ward with Shinohara." she replied.

"EH?!"

_knock knock knock!_

The two ladies turned to the door to see the doctor holding a clipboard, smiling. "Evening ladies." he greeted as he entered the room. "I am here to check up on Ms. Mado's daughter. You know the drill."

"Check up for what? Is she sick or something?" Aura asked in wonder.

"When she was born, Kureo and I were worried that she was too light and thin compared to average babies." Kasuka replied. "Dr. Kanou diagnosed her and said that she just lack vitamins."

"It had something to do with Ms. Mado's former injury I believe. It affected the baby's growth in her womb." Dr. Kanou supplemented.

Then Aura watched as the doctor prepared a needle to inject the baby. The sleeping infant began to cry the moment the needle made contact with her flesh. Kasuka was hushing the baby softly.

Absorbing the blood from the baby, Dr. Kanou wiped the mark with a cotton that was slightly wet with alcohol. "Shh you'll be fine little one." the doctor says.

"I'll have the results by tomorrow." the doctor tells Kasuka who nodded.

When Dr. Kanou left the premises, Aura had a worried look in her face as she watched Kasuka hum to her baby until little Akira had stopped crying. "Does this have something to do with you saying she won't be an investigator?"

"What?"

"Nothing." Aura decided not to bring it up in case Kasuka doesn't remember saying it. "Can I hold her?"

"Of course."

Carrying the baby in her arms, Aura smiled at the little one.

* * *

**[HySy ArtMask Studio - 20th Ward]**

Uta was sitting in the chair, both feet up while Irimi was sitting on the chair facing him, both feet are placed under opposing thighs. Between them was the wooden round table in the room. The wine bottles were already half empty. Uta was topless and was wearing pants while Irimi was wearing his black jacket to cover herself.

"So how does it feel? Better than starving yourself?" Uta teased.

Finishing the blood within the wine bottle, the black-haired young woman pushes the bottle towards Uta. "Take this away from me or I will crave for more."

Chuckling at the gesture, he refilled the bottle and drank on it. "They say that once a cannibal stops feeding itself, they will crave. And their hunger will put them in a state of illusion until eventually they lose control. That's why we always keep a supply of flesh and blood." he says.

"I don't eat a fellow tentacle because first of all, it's disgusting. Second, their blood tastes like a really old rusty metal." she began to complain. "Besides, I don't starve to the point that I lose control of myself."

"Really?" he asked curiously. "I doubt you don't eat anything at all. C-cells will eat you alive."

"I drink my own blood."

"EH?"

"Although I just do that to keep the hunger in control. Side effect is that my healing abilities are slower than anyone's." she explained.

Uta was able to solve a piece of the puzzle when he heard so. "That's why your wound from Renji didn't heal well last night!" she nodded and Uta took note of it. He wasn't aware of such information. "How much of your own blood do you drink? Do you like, bite your tongue?"

"Watch." taking one empty bottle, she smashed it in the side of the table. She picked up one fragmented piece of the bottle and cuts a diagonal wound in her right palm, then pressing the sharp part in her left index finger. Uta was keeping that fact that he was drooling over this.

Irimi placed her right palm on the table for Uta to see then she sucked on the blood in her index finger to show Uta how fast the healing process had improved.

"Dang. So that's why." he remarked. "If you heal so slow, how will you fare in battle?"

"I rely on my speed."

Uta watched as the injury in her palm was gone and the cut in her finger was also gone. "Say I just noticed, if you can drink a whole bottle of blood because of the injury Renji gave you, if you let's say, you're in a critical condition, do you think you'd lose control?"

She shrugged. "Never happened before. And I don't want to know."

"Then let's see it. See if you are a match for Renji."

"What?"

"Take your revenge on him." Uta said with a grin. His tentacles emerging from his back, the tips were sharp like a blade. "He's on his way here right now to get you. Give me a fun time, okay?"

"Wait what about Enji? You said-"

"Renji already saved him. After he saves you, you'll never see me again as I promised. And for the answers you seek... you'll thank me after I do this."

* * *

Yomo arrives in the artmask studio, seeing Itori was outside standing guard.

"Let me pass." he says.

"No."

"I have no business with you. I know you cared about  _her_  too, that's why I don't hate you the way I hate the others." when he attempted to walk passed her, she blocked his path. "Let me pass."

"Uta was mind controlled back then. Don't hate him." she tells him. It was the same as Nico said but he doesn't believe it.

"I won't hate him if he returns my friend."

**GROOOOOOOOOOOWWWLLLLLL...**

When the two heard a loud growl on the other side of the room. Yomo rushed and kicked the door open, seeing Uta standing, and Irimi chewing on his hand. Her eyes were similar to Roma's when Roma would be in a frenzy to eat.

Her nails were sharp and half her face was burned by the fire.

"Uta, what did you do?" Yomo asked, unaware of what was going on. "Why did you cannibali-"

Uta pets her head, allowing her to eat his hand. "I didn't infect her. I just tried something out." he said with a smirk. "And to test my theories, I want to see how this goes." he says. Uta knelt down and locked his eyes with Irimi's. "Feed on Renji. Hmm? Let's see who wins."

"Uta!" When Yomo saw Uta's tentacles began to change form, similar to how Roma's tentacles were transforming to needles, the same was happening with Uta's. Yomo quickly dashed towards them, pushing them away from each other. "Don't you dare!"

Thrown to the side, Uta was still on his feet, the remain of his arm was regrowing what was lost. Uta beamed, revealing his fangs as well.

Yomo turned behind him to see the hungry female tentacle chewing on Uta's hand that she pulled off. Yomo knelt down and snatched the hand away from her. She snarled at him. "Manager won't be happy to see you like this." he tells her. "He wants you back. Come home."

Growling angrily, blood from Uta's hand dripped from her mouth.

"Yoshimura says you and Koma are like children to him." Yomo says. "So stop making him worry like that and come home. You can hate me later. Please."


	8. Post Clowns Arc

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so the aftermath of the events.  
> What will the Clowns do now?  
> How will Anteiku react towards their enemy?

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul.**

**DAYS GONE BY TOKYO 08  
Post Clowns Arc - EP1**

Enji and Irimi were sleeping in Yoshimura's bed, both were resting because of exhaustion. Yoshimura covered the two with a long gray blanket and bid them goodnight before going downstairs to see Yomo was packing his things.

"You're leaving?"

"I can't stay here anymore. After what happened, I-"

Yoshimura walked towards him and pats him in the back. "You know, I was just like you when I was younger." he says. "Why won't you sit down and let's talk over a cup of coffee?" he offered and Yomo nodded.

The manager prepared coffee for the two of them so they could talk.

"I never told anyone about me, so you'll be the first." the manager began to say.

"Not even those two idiots?" Yomo says, making Yoshimura chuckle.

"Not even the two idiots." he affirmed. "They're not mature enough to understand my case, but I plan on telling them soon." he says and Yomo nods. "I am originally from the 1st Ward, as a boy, I was taken by men in black suits. I don't know where I was or what was happening, but it was some kind of training ground."

"Training ground?"

"Humans were taking in orphaned tentacles and training them to be cleaners. People to kill for them." Yoshimura explained. "I grew up doing just that. But as I've encountered so many people already, I was curious to see what was on the other side of life. What kind of life do these people live with? So I'd sneak out of the militia and explore the ward... until I met her."

Yomo assumed 'her' was a woman that Yoshimura loved.

"Ukina was a human, a journalist in fact. She traveled a lot and she filled me in with my curiosity about the world. I didn't tell her what my job was or where I came from, she didn't mind. She just liked telling me about her adventures and her life. I enjoyed her stories like a child listening to a mother's bedtime stories." Yoshimura continued to say.

"What happened to her?"

"I told her who I was, what I do. I wanted to live the life she had. Join her in her travels." he said, his smile wide as he recalled the old days. "She wasn't afraid of me and she told me she'd help me. She will expose the humans who did this to me and the other tentacles."

The manager's smile faded.

"Before she could expose the truth, she just disappeared. Everyday I'd visit our hangout to wait for her but she never showed up. I was sad. I was lonely. I thought that she lied to me and abandoned me, until later I discovered the militia took her and tortured her for weeks. She broke down and whatever she prepared to expose them, it's gone."

He took a deep breath, frowning as he continued to recall those sad days. Yomo listened to him.

"Did you...?"

"I rescued her. I lost control of myself, killed everyone there and destroyed the camp. I settled down in the 5th Ward where it took me years to help her recover her mentality. But I was never fated to live happy, I suppose."

Yomo braced himself to hear the rest of the sad life of the manager.

"Ukina.. she was among the victims of the big battle that went down on the 5th Ward. You know your history, do you?"

"Yes, they said that CCG and many tentacle organizations fought for a month without a break until CCG came out its victor and conquered the 5th Ward, raising Sunlit Garden Academy as a sign of their victory." Yomo says.

"I found Ukina dying when I got back home. Her last words to me was to live on, not as the man who killed but as a man who saved lives." Yoshimura says, smiling at the memory of holding her hand once more.

"I am nothing like that." Yomo spoke. "I left home and became a juvenile, doing all sorts of trouble and just being violent. I didn't like living the way my sister did. I wanted to prove to her that tentacles have the power to dominate the world and that we should be respected. But the only thing I earned in my time here is take people and sell them."

The manager placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled. "You're not lost anymore. And you are not alone. We are your family."

"Yoshimura-san..."

"Please stay with us, Yomo."

"Yes, I will. I'll stay. Thank you."

* * *

**[The next day...]**

The sun rose and the two are still asleep. Enji was drooling as his dreams were filled with fantasies. He chuckled and moaned, his arm moving to hug the person beside him. "Hehehe..."

Irimi was awakened by his hand hitting her face, she traced the owner of the hand and sees the drooling Enji.

"Enji..." she grumbled as she cracked her knuckles.

* * *

Yoshimura and Yomo were preparing to open the shop, sweeping the floor and brewing coffee for the early customers when they heard Enji screaming in pain. They were alerted by the sound of that.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME YOU APE!" and there goes the follow up.

"DID YOU JUST PINCH MY CHEEKS!? I'LL SLAP YOU MONGREL!"

"OH I'M SORRY, SHOULD I SING YOU A LULLABY TO PUT YOU BACK TO SLEEP!?"

"LIKE HELL I CAN SLEEP WITH YOUR TERRIBLE SINGING!"

"HAVE YOU HEARD ME SING!?"

"HAVE YOU!?"

When Yoshimura and Yomo heard their very loud voices, the two exchanged looks and chuckled. It seems that the two are okay now, yes they were as noisy as ever, and as much as Yoshimura and Yomo hated to admit it, but they actually missed the sound of them arguing.

Yoshimura washed his hands and hurried upstairs where the two were.

* * *

Enji and Irimi were trying to punch each other, not noticing that they were in the manager's room.

When they saw that the door opened and Yoshimura was standing outside, they quickly stopped. "We're sorry manager!" the two said immediately, fearing that he'd smack their butts again for bad behavior.

"This dumb dog started it!" Enji began to say and pointed a finger at her.

"You're the dumb ape, look how many fingers are pointed at you!"

Enji stared at his hand, his index finger pointing at Irimi while the rest of his fingers were pointed at himself. "SHUT UP!"

The two were silenced when Yoshimura suddenly ran towards them and wrapped his arms around the two, stunning them. He didn't say a word but he stayed kneeling and hugging them.

"Uhm, manager?"

"I am glad you two are alright." he says in relief. "I was so worried."

"We're sorry to make you worry."

"Y- Yeah, we're really sorry."

The two then heard footsteps from the door. They saw Yomo wearing a black vest over a white long-sleeved polo. Must be a uniform of some sort. Their eyes widened and began pointing at Yomo angrily.

"He attacked us!" the two said in unison.

"I saved you." Yomo tells them and they gritted their teeth.

Yoshimura pulled away from the hug and cupped their cheeks. One hand on Enji and another hand on Irimi. "You two and Yomo are like children to me. It's a long story but, you two were saved thanks to him."

"He stabbed me right?" Enji said, remembering that night.

"I remember he left me to die." Irimi added.

"Definitely a long story." Yomo groaned at the fact that the two were unaware of what happened.

* * *

**[HySy ArtMask Studio]**

Roma was angry. She was at the studio, stomping her feet on the floor walking back and forth. Itori was sitting on the couch with her legs crossed, Nico was beside her. Uta was sitting on a separate chair, slouching. The three were staring at Roma.

The redhead was not in a good mood. They can see that plainly.

"Are we supposed to watch you throw a fit or can we go and do something else?" Uta asked. They've been waiting for her to say something for the past fifteen minutes but she hasn't told them a thing.

"We had a wealthy buyer. Croque Monsieur was looking for a female plaything, which by the way we could've earned a million yet in cash if you weren't flirting with that girl!" was the first she shouted. "I had to lower my price for Enji because I had to sell him one way or another. Then the Owl showed up, causing a commotion and then our dear Yomo stole ENJI!"

She stopped walking and faced the three with a raging aura.

"Going home empty-handed, I was hoping to still have a chance to double the price of our prisoner but I find out you ALLOWED Yomo to take her  _back?!_ " she finished. "This week's been a  **disaster!** "

"For the record, I allowed Yomo to take her back for two reasons. One, it's because you mind-controlled me to sell his girlfriend, and two, I found out that the Owl was the one taking care of them." Uta justified. "Pretty much we'd be nothing but skin and bones if the Owl chose to rage on us. I believe we have Renji to thank for his mercy."

"Did you know that they had connections with the Owl Roma?" Itori asked.

Since the three did not know of that fact until the recent disaster (as Roma calls it.) The redhead crossed her arms as she tapped her foot repeatedly on the floor.

"I had a hunch." she replied. "But it doesn't prove anything. We could've taken the Owl."

"Can you just open your eyes and look at the reality here? We are not of the Owl's level. He'd wipe us out if he wanted to." Uta tells her. "I bet you will not even be able to use your mind-control on him."

"We can ask for a treaty with them." Nico proposed. "We will not harm their team and they won't mess with our business."

"I like the sound of that." Itori agreed.

Then Nico and Itori turned to Uta for his opinion. "I also agree. We should talk to them about boundaries and such."

"Think about it Roma... do you want to mope for the disaster or do you want to solve it?" Nico says and Roma sighed in defeat. She acts like she doesn't care for their opinion but they knew her too well.

"Fine. Let's talk to them."

* * *

**[3rd Ward]**

_"Thank you very much for letting us stay, Ruisawa." Kureo says with a smile. Almost as if he were flirting. Shinohara could've sworn that's what his smile meant. But Ruisawa ignored it and led them inside the apartment._

_"This will be your room, share it." she stated, eyeing the double deck._

_Kureo placed his things on the bottom of the double deck and grinned. "No problem!"_

_"Really I'm staying on top?" Shinohara wanted to complain._

_"I got dibs."_

_Ruisawa and chuckled and head for the door. "Goodnight boys."_

Shinohara and Kureo were climbing up a hill early that day. Shinohara was panting as he was carrying all the loads Kureo wanted to bring with him. From science equipment to the luggage, he was the only one carrying it.

Kureo was walking about twenty meters advanced from him.

When the two have arrived at the top, Kureo was sitting down, waiting for his partner to catch up. "You could've... *pant*, helped me... *pant*, you know?" Shinohara managed to say as he fell on the ground, catching his breath.

"We're here." Kureo tells him.

"I know, I just got here. Give me a break man."

"No, we're  _here_." Kureo repeated, his eyes locked on the view below them. "Jason's hideout."

"Jason?" Shinohara asked, not knowing who Kureo was talking about.

"The one wearing the hockey mask." Kureo replied with a grin. "After watching that horror movie last night, it gave me an idea. Let's call this tentacle, Jason. Fits him perfectly right?"

Shinohara just rested his back on the ground, recovering his breath. "Whatever you say."

"Let's see what's inside. If he's in there, the better."

* * *

**[Anteiku - 20th Ward]**

"UNIFORMS!" the two exclaimed excitedly.

Yoshimura handed them the uniforms he's been so eager to give them since he got it. Enji and Irimi excitedly studied the uniforms and checked to see how well it fits them. Yomo was already wearing his.

"Make sure you wear them as we officially open this shop. Mornings 'til evening." Yoshimura tells them.

"Wow this fits me perfectly manager." Enji says, staring at himself in the mirror, wearing the uniform that fits him perfectly. The vest wasn't to tight and the polo wasn't too big.

"Don't hold your breath, the buttons may come off." Irimi teased while she herself was on the other mirror, checking how well the uniform fits her. Compared to Enji, her tie was not fixed well, sleeves folded and the hem of the white polo not tacked in.

Enji threw his hanger at her, she dodged it but it almost cracked the mirror she was using. "Shut up you messed up mongrel!"

"Die you hairy primitive!"

"Are you trying to start something with me, knowing I'm the Devil Ape?"

"Don't talk like you know me or I'll kill you."

Yoshimura smiled at the two. Yep he got their sizes right. But their never ending argument is what makes them still them. Yomo did not understand what was causing Yoshimura to smile when literally the two are basically just at each other's throats.

But as he observed the two, it does seem like they were just siblings fighting over the gift from their  _father_.

Causing Yomo to smile as well.  _So this is what it means to be part of a family. I wish... I was part of Hikari's family as well- her life._

"Ding dong!" they heard someone shouting outside.

Everyone turned was alerted. That voice was familiar. So they all head for the front door downstairs, Yomo was the first to open and sees his former comrades. Roma was in front, Uta, Itori and Nico were behind him. Everyone wasn't wearing their masks, just casual clothing.

"Ah Renji!" Roma greets.

"You're not welcome here." was Yomo's plain answer and was about to close the door but Roma's foot got in the way.

"We're here for a treaty."

The manager opened the door widely so he can see who the intruders were. Enji and Irimi arriving a little later, seeing that it was the people who kidnapped them. Enji got reminded immediately of the horror being brainwashed by that redhead.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!"

"Aww, miss me already Enji-kun~"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

Yoshimura did not like these people anymore than Yomo does. But he kept himself composed. "What do you want?"

"Certainly not to fight against the mighty Owl." the redhead began. The Anteiku crew couldn't identify if she were here without the intention to fight or provoking them to start one. "Just here for a little peace treaty about boundaries we'll have to have to keep our group from messing with each other's business."

"We're listening." the manager encouraged.

"My members will not mess with your business nor will we attempt to kidnap and sell your underlings again." Roma stated. "In return, you or your underlings are not allowed to mess with our business, I'm confident you are already aware of that."

"You think setting up a treaty will clean up your crimes against me!" Enji shouts.

"You enjoyed it~"

Irimi turned to Enji, wondering what he was talking about. But the fact that Enji was blushing means he  _did_  it with the leader. She would want to tease but she couldn't, knowing she also did it with Uta.

"And I'm sure your friend had a good time with Uta as well." as if reading her mind, Roma turned to Irimi with an evil grin. "But without the brainwashing of course." she added to stir some trouble.

Enji turns to Irimi, raising his brow. "You had sex with our enemy willingly? Wow I didn't think you were  _that_  low, mongrel."

"It was under pressure with some conditions!" she justified.

"Oh was I pressuring you?" Uta spoke. "Sorry, watching you sleep half-naked was too much for my libido to contain."

Enji and Irimi would've jumped at the two and start a fight but Yomo held both of their wrists and allowed the manager to talk. Of course no one was happy with what happened, neither do they want to know the specifics.

"I accept your conditions." Yoshimura says. "But if any of you breaks any of the said statements, I will personally see to it that you four will be annihilated."

"Wait I want to add a condition." Uta says, raising his hand up. "If by chance that either parties were able to meet or interact, whether incidentally, chance or not, as long as there is no fight between them, it would be okay to interact." everyone stared at him. As if any of them wanted to see each other again. "This is a small world, we live in the same ward. It is bound to happen." he explained.

"Fine. As long as no one attacks." the manager agreed, sensing that Uta had plans to interact with them sooner than he thinks.

"Okay whatever." the redhead also agrees. "So it's settled then. We'll set up strict boundaries about territories as well."

"Understood."


	9. Anteiku Opening (Part 1)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul.**

**DAYS GONE BY TOKYO 09  
Anteiku Opening - EP1**

Kureo and Shinohara arrives at the assumed hideout of the one they call Jason. It was an old warehouse in the middle of nowhere. Outside, the building was just a rusty old infrastructure but as soon as they entered, they will see that the whole space was covered in nothing but blood and decapitated body parts of women.

From fingers and toes to limbs and organs. Fingernails were also scattered everywhere. They couldn't tell how many victims there are but they swear there's too much cut out parts that was rotting inside.

Dried blood. And it stinks to the point that the two had to run out again to breathe.

"Wow someone knows how to keep a corpse for years." Shinohara commented as he took in the fresh air to breathe.

"Did you see that? He's butchering his victims!" Kureo said almost amazed.

"I don't even want to meet this guy."

"No, no, no, you don't get me. His victims are tentacle!" Kureo exclaimed. "There are tentacles scattered in the side. We can salvage those and use it to make more quinque." Kureo added and Shinohara shook his head. "Why not?"

"Because if we steal his stuff, he'll get mad and hunt us down."

"Then we're baiting him to find us! THEN we can CATCH him."

Sure the guy was a genius but Shinohara does not like to take the risk. Whether it was just Jason who killed all these victims or he had accomplices, they'll never know. Kureo's confidence was out of pure excitement for a new quinque and his enthusiasm to catch Jason.

"Assuming through his victims, he may just be just a horny teenage boy." Kureo added in his theory.

"Yeah I can see he  _loved_  these women."

"Help me pack up some tentacles. Then we're calling CCG of the 1st Ward for reinforcements." Kureo instructed. "We're going to sweep this place clean and force Jason to find us instead of us finding him."

"Oh boy,"

* * *

**[Anteiku - 20th Ward]**

It was Anteiku's official opening day. Customers weren't much but the people who entered so far liked the atmosphere in the area and would sure come back again. Enji was the one happily greeting the customers too.

Yomo was stuck in the counter, brewing coffee and preparing the food for the customers while Irimi was in the kitchen washing the dishes.

"Hello, good morning. Yes good morning. Thank you, please come again." Enji would say over and over again to different customers who entered and left the shop.

His smile was friendly and no one even had a hunch that he was once called the 'Devil Ape'.

What made Enji panic was the fact that he was able to recognize doves enter the shop. How can he not recognize them when he sees the familiar white briefcases they always carry, their suits and ties and of course, the smell of tentacles turned into quinques within those briefcases.

Enji immediately ran to the manager in the office.

"Manager, we have a problem." He reports.

"What is it?"

"There are doves who entered. What do we do?"

"Nothing." was his simple answer. Enji just stared at him in wonder.

"Nothing?"

"The same way the previous customers had no clue what you are, these doves also have nothing to prove what you are. They're here simply because we are a shop open to serve the customers for the day." he explained. "The reason you're our front man is because your light aura, perfect smile and corny jokes is good for entertaining the customers."

Enji chuckled at the compliment, fixing his tie and exposing a grin that proves he was gloating inside and out. "Yomo may be good with making the coffee, but I am Anteiku's front man. That's a nice ring to it."

"Mm-hmm."

"Now go along before Yomo is forced to serve the customers alone." the manager says and Enji nodded.

* * *

"Wow this is a new shop!" Kuroiwa says as he sat down the chair. Houji sits beside him, followed by Marude. On the chairs opposing them was Kasuka and Aura.

"It's a got a good theme too, classic." says Marude. "I'm sure Shinohara would love this place."

"I can imagine he and Kureo would date a lot here." Kuroiwa joked.

"Where are they anyway?" Houji asked.

"Had some sort of mission in the 3rd Ward. I have no idea how Mado pulled it off." Kuroiwa replied, making Aura groan as she remembered her transfer. "Don't worry, we'll visit you in the first ward every now and then."

Everyone chuckled. "I just hate it that I'm the only one being transferred." she mumbled.

"Shiki Kijima is there I believe." Kasuka commented but Aura was not happy to hear that, the rest began to echo their laughter. "He's not your type?"

"Like hell would I care! He's worse than your husband!"

The investigators were later approached by Enji with a calm face and a smug smile. "What can I get you dear customers?" he asked politely.

"Oh what do you have?"

"One Americano please." Kuroiwa says with a smile and Enji listed it down his notepad.

"Make it two." Houji says. "He'll pay." he teased as he pointed a thumb at Kuroiwa who swatted his hand away. Marude shook his head and was deeply meditating on his order.

"Cafe con leche for me." Marude finally says.

"Latte."

"Hot chocolate."

"Alright then, I'll be back with your order." Enji says with a smile and walks away. As soon as he reached the kitchen, he held on his vest, trying to calm his heartbeat. Irimi was leaning on the wall, smirking as she saw Enji's fearful expression.

There wasn't much dishes to wash so she was pretty much not doing anything until then.

"Got a heart attack?" she taunted.

"If you face doves with a smile on your face, not knowing if they dare attack or what, is suicide." Enji tells her, trying to scare her. "Fix your stupid tie and tack your sleeves so you can assist me in serving out there!"

"No way, go happily serve the doves."

"Go chew on a bone, lazy mutt." he shot back as he head back outside.

* * *

He approaches Yomo who was calmly brewing as much coffee as he could for the other customers. For some reason, there's just too much customers on their first day. Enji noticed it as well.

"A lot of people, huh?" Enji tells him. He ripped the paper from his notepad and placed it beside the coffee pot. "More orders. This one's from the doves."

"Alright."

"I wonder how we'll survive this."

"Just relax and act normal.

"Riiiight."

* * *

**[HySy ArtMask Studio - 20th Ward]**

"Finally done..." Uta mumbled as he finished wrapping the masks and the clothes in two separate boxes.

He turned to Itori who was lying down on his bed with a bored expression. "What's that for?"

"What does it look like?"

"I can't believe you actually had the guts to say that condition and just prepare a gift like that." the orange-haired woman commented and got off the bed to see the gifts he wrapped. "Knock, knock, is Uta in there?"

"We survive even if we don't eat food for a week, our main source for survival is to feed her A-cells some pleasure." Uta stated, taking the gifts away from Itori. "I know we just grab a random human victim, rape them then eat them but I have a new kind of fun in mind."

"Mess with Owl and his goons? You're sick."

"I don't care about the Owl, I just want a sex friend." Uta spilled out his motives and the woman raised a brow on him. "Ever since Roma set up rules about relationships being forbidden, it just got me craving for it all the more."

"We both know you didn't respect that rule."

"Yes and right now, I am going to violate that rule indirectly." Uta says and took his jacket, preparing to leave.

Itori did not stop him, she also didn't want to just randomly do people and then kill them. "Should I tell Roma or should you?"

"I'll wait until she finds out." Uta replied calmly. "Besides, what's wrong with me trying to shag a single woman? Nothing right?"

"Fine. But I doubt she'll agree to that."

"Oh watch me. I made her cum twice and I can tell you she had fun way better than Enji did under Roma's spell." Uta said confidently. "She'll agree with it. I believe she wouldn't want to also grab a random guy and rock him in bed. She'd rather do one to people she knows."

"You and your confidence, just go." she muttered and he smiled and left the room.

Passing by the shelves full of masks, his hand slides to the shelf where his mask was hanging, taking it with him as he left the studio.

* * *

**[Anteiku - 20th Ward, 6:15pm]**

Everyone was cleaning up after the big day. It was a success no doubt and more people will be coming back by tomorrow, so they better brace themselves for another round of service.

Enji was wiping the tables while Yomo was mopping the floor. Irimi was outside wiping the glass when Uta arrived.

"Would you rather clean outside then mop in a cozy room?" he spoke, causing her to turn around to see him standing a couple of meters away from her. He had a backup behind him and both hands were in his jacket pocket.

"What do you want?"

"You're not pushing me away?"

"You said those conditions for a reason. Now speak." she said but she turned back to wipe the glass. He took the opportunity to walk close to her and take the contents of his bag out. She heard the zipper of the backpack but she was not tempted to see what it was.

"I promised to make masks for you and your friend. Just here to deliver it."

"You could've delivered it without showing your face."

"Masks with matching outfits." he added and she stopped wiping the glass to face him. He was poker-faced, almost like Yomo was but he wasn't frowning. "I was not sure with Enji's size so... if it doesn't fit, let me know."

"And you're sure about my size?"

Uta shrugged. "I kinda studied your body while we were at it. I think I can pretty much measure your si-"

Irimi grabbed the boxes from his hands to shut him up. "Okay, you can leave now."

"You're not gonna ask why I also did the outfit?"

"I don't know, should I allow myself to fall for your tricks again?" she countered, making him smile. She did not understand him. Being rude to him makes him smile, being nice to him also makes him smile. What was supposed to be her reaction then?

"Consider it as compensation for what the Clowns did." he says. "But I guess you already knew I want something else."

"No I don't, but I don't want to-"

Uta brought out his mask from his backpack to get her attention. And he was sure she got it when he saw her eyes widen at the sight of his mask. "I am the one who owned this mask." he tells her. "No Face, is what they call me."

"Are you provoking me for a fight?"

"Is fighting all you ever think about?"

"I don't know, what do you want me to do about your identity?" she takes a step back away from him but he kept his mask back and zipped his bag. She did not let her guard down in case he plans to attack for some reason.

"I want you to know who I really am, to get your trust and hopefully convince you to agree with my proposal."

Sweatdropping at the tone of his voice, she studied his face carefully, seeing that he was dead serious about it. Whatever  _it_  could mean. "Does it have something to do with the treaty?"

"No." he replied flatly. "I am here for my personal needs and motive. Roma may be my boss but she doesn't have to know about my personal business." he says. "I'm a tentacle just like you, surviving by means of pleasure. But it won't be fun to abduct a random victim, live and kill."

* * *

"AAAAAGGGHHH!"

Yomo turns to Enji who was now at the counter, spilling the coffee in the pot out of his rage. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"I finished cleaning the tables so I thought I should learn to make coffee." he replied, angrily wiping the spilled coffee. "I want to learn it too."

"Frustrated having to smile all the time to customers?"

"No I'm fine with that, in fact I enjoy being the face of Anteiku but I want to do more than that." Enji says and sat down the chair, sighing. "I want to do something that... that she doesn't know."

"You told everything to Roma." he concluded.

"She knows everything about me, my life, my skills, my power." Enji explained. "I felt like I was not only stripped naked physically, but she raided my mind. I... I don't feel so special anymore. It's like wherever I look I see people who might tell me who I am, or suddenly beat me knowing what my weakness is..."

"We had a treaty, Roma wouldn't do that. Despite her... personality." Yomo wanted to assure the ginger-haired boy.

Enji believes that they fear the Owl enough not to mess with Anteiku. But something else was bothering him. "Irimi had a choice when she slept with that guy. I didn't." he stated. "Yes my body was pleased, and I'm sure so was hers, but I, the great Devil Ape just got violated!"

"I never knew you were... emotional about that kind of stuff."

"I am a low drive type, only do it for survival. Because I want to only be intimate with someone I love." he explained. "Ugh, but I feel so disgusted right now."

Yomo was not good with words or comforting, but he knew he needed to say something. So he lightly punched Enji by the arm. "You're girlier than that witch. Maybe she could learn a thing or two from you."

"Shut up!" Enji threw the wet rag at Yomo but Yomo ducked before it hits him.

The rag hits the glass and the two glanced outside to see Irimi's back pressed on the glass and Uta was doing something to her. Hopefully not stab her or something. The two rushed outside to aid her.

Only to see the two were just kissing.

"HOLY...!" Enji gasped. Yomo grabbed Uta by the hood of his jacket and Enji ran to his former rival. "You were UNDER PRESSURE? Really? I am starting to doubt that."

"I'm fine, he just delivered something." she tells them.

"Yeah what? Some poison?" Enji says. "Did he brainwash you as well? I heard from the manager his ability is to copy someone else's power. I won't be surprised he copied off that whore's power!"

Yomo stayed between his family and Uta. Keeping guard. "We had a treaty, you're not supposed to be here." Yomo tells him.

"Not if I have no bad motives." Uta said bravely. But he fixed his jacket and secured his backpack before taking a step backwards, preparing to leave. "You attacked first but... consider this mercy."

As soon as he walked away, the two boys glared at Irimi for what had just happened.

"He was here to deliver something." was her same excuse but the two boys kept their arms crossed.

"From now on, I'm the older brother of this family." Enji claimed the spot. "And you're grounded."

"Okay no problem."

"Grounded that means staying in your room and not sleeping outside with that guy."

"What gives you the right!?"

"I'm the older brother." Enji boldly declared. Yomo would've wanted that role but he let Enji take the role, for his sake. Hopefully this whole 'older brother' act will help him get his mind off of Roma and her brainwashing.

* * *

**[CCG Branch - 3rd Ward]**

Kureo and Shinohara were within the CCG Branch communications room so they can contact CCG HQ back at the 20th Ward.

They reported about the new tentacle they rated SS so far. He was officially named Jason from here on out. They say he was still lurking within the 3rd Ward but they are baiting him to find them instead of tracking his trail.

They were also able to salvage over fifteen different tentacles from Jason's dead victims that they could no longer identify and burned the remains instead. The whole warehouse was cleared out to hopefully enrage the teenage killer.

"See how well we're doing?" Kureo says with a smile.

"I know, but you need to be careful." his wife tells him strictly.

"Am I not always?"

"Kureo... just promise you'll come home."

Whenever Kasuka would use that tone with him, he was worried. It was the mix of anger and sadness that he could not identify and most certainly she will not explain to him what the fuss was about.

He was still bothered with her sudden talk about their baby not becoming an investigator when they literally talked about it before. They wanted to raise legends, the lineage of the Mado's will be known throughout the world.

"Okay kasuka, I promise." he tells her to calm her down.

"Good. Tell Shinohara to be careful too." she says, her voice was back to its calm tone. Kureo was glad to hear it.

"Alright. Goodnight, honey."

"Goodnight."

When the call ends, Shinohara who was reading the reports saw that Kureo was quiet. "Should we go home now or do you have another call to make?" he asked. He's been waiting there for hours- not really- and he didn't want to rush Mado.

"My wife was injured in this ward years back. It's the reason why our baby was born with a weak body and poor health, as the doctor stated." Kureo informed Shinohara.

"What?"

"I'm here... because I want to know who gave her that wound and find out what really happened."

"What do you mean?"

"Revenge."


	10. Anteiku Opening (Part 2)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul.**

**DAYS GONE BY TOKYO 10  
Anteiku Opening Arc - EP2**

Enji was in his usual spot on the roof, hugging himself while a blanket was wrapped all over him. The snacks he snuck out from the fridge wasn't touched. He was staring at the dark sky, the peaceful Tokyo.

He could no longer hear the manager's voice below, which means that he was done with his speech and probably went to sleep.

"She had a choice..." he mumbled.

He hugged himself tightly. It was still a cold season so staying out at this time of the night was too cold for him. But it was his personal time, his personal space. It makes him feel better just being there.

"Enji."

Enji turned to his side and was surprised to have a red mask thrown towards him. His reflex was a little rusty but he got it in time before it hits his face. "What is this?" he mumbled and lifted the mask to see a Devil Ape mask. "A mask?"

Irimi sits beside him, giving him one of the boxes she was holding. "This is yours too."

Enji quickly placed the mask down and was eager to see what was the contents of the box. He didn't know he was excited to see it but Irimi could tell by the look of his face. "A... costume? It's the same as my white hoodie." he said as he pulled out the white hoodie from the box. "Is this a thank-you for saving you from that guy?"

"No that's a gift from that guy." she corrected him.

His pride resulted for him to drop the jacket back to the box. "I'm not taking any gifts from them." he says. "What did the manager tell you?"

"He patted me in the head and told me to 'go be a girl' then dismissed me." she said, annoyed at the statement but amused Enji, caushing him to laugh.

"So it's clean then!" Enji takes the jacket again, allowing the thick blanket to fall of his shoulders and wore the jacket over his white shirt. "Wow that guy knows my size. Or... did you take my measurements while I was asleep?"

"He just guessed, I don't know."

Enji then takes the mask and was enthusiastic as he wore it. "How do I look?"

"Like the primitive you are." she commented, making him chuckle.

"What did he give you? I bet he knows your size as well. Unless you gave it to him?" he teased, causing her to hit him in his arm. A little too hard. "HEY!"

"Gave me a mask, with clothes fit for the mask." she tells him with a bored expression but Enji wanted to see it.

He takes a peek at the box beside her and snatched it from her side to see the black mask and the coat. "Wow he knows how to dress you up." he continued to irk her with his comments. "Why won't you wear it? Let's sneak out tonight and see how well we can move with it?"

"I'm grounded." she reminded him, making him laugh.

"I'm kidding! Go get laid with the guy." he quickly revoked his orders and she grabbed his jacket, glaring at him. "Easy on the new jacket!"

"We are  _not_  together, I only need him to survive." she wanted to clarify.

Enji pushed her away and carefully fixed the folds of the jacket. "Easy for you to accept him, he seems to respect you. That girl... she literally invaded my privacy and everything personal about me."

"You're making it sound like if she didn't do that you would've asked her out too."

Enji chuckled. "Maybe." he took the mask off his face and stared at it. "I want to love someone and take care of them. I know as tentacles we live by pleasure but if there's someone I want to pleasure, it's the woman I love."

"Never knew you were a gentleman."

"Bug off!"

The two were later startled to hear something creak behind them. The two turned around to see that Yomo was walking towards them, he froze when the two stared at him in wonder. "Sorry, can I join?"

Enji smiled and pats the space on his left. "Sit here buddy."

Yomo sat down beside Enji and noticed the mask in his lap. "You... have a mask now?"

"Irimi's boyfriend made it for me. She also has one, look!"

"I told you he's not-"

"Fine, he's a sex buddy of some sort." Enji corrected himself, not wanting his jacket to be the victim of her claws again. "You have a mask too right? Do you want to join us?"

"On what?" Yomo asked, curious to know.

But Irimi didn't seem as excited. "I'm not doing that."

"Yes you are, I just un-grounded you." Enji reminds her.

"You have no right."

"I told you I'm the older brother."

"No you're not!"

' _A gloating older brother and rotten younger sister... sounds like fun.'_

"Okay, I'm in." Yomo says, wanting to be part of the fun. Enji and Irimi gasped at his sudden change of personality, causing them both to stare at him in wonder. "Whatever it is you are planning."

"What's with the sudden change of mind?"

"Well it's settled. We're all going out to test our new outfit!" Enji concluded the conversation. "The Raven, Devil Ape and Black Dober is out for the night!"

"Stop giving me nicknames." Yomo says but thinking about it, he actually didn't have a title the same way Uta and the others did. "And who named you guys?"

"It's a childhood memory." Enji says. "Now dress up!"

While Yomo and Irimi ran back to their rooms to change, Yoshimura exited the shop wearing his cloak and surprisingly, a mask in hand. Enji saw him wear that mask once when they were saved back in the 13th Ward.

"Manager!" he calls out.

Yoshimura looked up, surprised to see Enji wearing his new mask. "Enji, goodness, where did you get that?"

"A gift from the jerk." he answered and the manager got the idea. "Where are you going?"

"Perimeter check."

"Perimeter check? What is that?"

"Making sure the 20th Ward is a safe home for us." the manager replied simply. "Since you're ready, why won't you come with me? I'll show you around." he invited. Of course Enji wanted to but...

"What about Yomo and Irimi?"

"They can come another time. Someone needs to look after the shop."

"Then count me in!"

* * *

Raven and the Black Dober comes back on the rooftop seeing that Enji had left a note for them; Guard the shop, manager says so.

Yomo took his mask off, frowning. "Is he joking?"

"No." Irimi replied, crumpling the paper in her hand. "He probably left with the manager already."

* * *

**[3rd Ward, 11:03pm]**

"What are you doing? Stop following me!"

"Shh! Shh!"

The guy with yellow hair pulled the girl down and hushed her. Covering her mouth with his hand and he cocked his head forward. The girl slowly looked behind her, over the boulder, they see men in black were within the area.

All of them wearing white masks and black hats. All of them armed as well.

Out of fear, the girl quickly hid herself behind the boulder and kept herself quiet. When the guy knew she wouldn't make a noise anymore, he took his hand away.

"I'm getting you out of here." he whispered.

"How will you know the way out?"

"Do you trust me?"

Not knowing where to go or what to do, she nodded her head and the guy smiled. He takes her by the hand and leads her away from the men in black. Rain poured down and it would be a good cover for the tracks they left behind.

He led the girl towards the fence but she yanked her arm back.

"I can't climb the fence, we'll get caught." she says, afraid. The guy assumed she must've tried climbing it before.

"It's okay." he tells her softly and pointed at the small hole he dug under the fence. "Come on."

The girl followed him and he tells her to crawl through the small hole and she did, exiting on the other side of the fence. She was covered in mud thanks to that but it's okay. The guy followed after her and she waited for him to close the small hole, pushing the soil over to leave no marks.

"Help me." he says.

She dirtied her hands and they molded the wet soil together, closing the hole he made so the men in black won't have a clue.

"Okay, come on, follow me." he says as he got back up but the girl pulled his hand. "What is it?"

"Who are you?"

"My name is Naki. You and i are connected, that's how I found out who you are and where you are." he explained.

"What do you mean?"

"It's called 'two memories'. I'll explain on the way, we have to get out of here before they notice we're missing." Naki says. "Mayu, right?"

"Y- Yes."

"Mayu, trust me. I'm getting you out of here."

Mayu was afraid. She didn't know who he was or what he was talking about. But if he risked his life going passed the facility's fence and rescuing her, she knew she can put her faith in him.

She took his hand and the two ran together under the rain.

* * *

**[Anteiku - 20th Ward]**

Yomo and Irimi were waiting for Enji and the manager to come back. The shop was spic and span but they were extremely quiet. They were seated far from each other as well, wearing their normal clothes now.

When they heard a knock on the door, they raised to open it but Yomo was faster.

"Ah hello Renji."

**SLAMS.**

"Was it the manager?" she asked Yomo who grabbed her wrist and pulled her away from the door. "Hey!" she tried yanking her arm back but he did not let her go until they've reached the door to her room. "Hey what is your problem!? I'm going to join Enji and the manager when they get back!"

"It's Uta." he spilled and released her hand.

Irimi crossed her arms and stared at him. "So?"

"Enji strictly told me not to allow you two to interact." he says.

"You didn't strike me as the type to follow orders to someone you can literally kill with your tentacles."

"Well you didn't strike me to be a cheeky whore either." he retorted. "After all he's done, you're just going to jump to bed with him. Really? Or maybe it's just a dog's manners? Don't you care how worried the manager was?"

"The manager allowed it." she said and attempted to walk passed him but he blocked his arm so she couldn't go anywhere.

"The manager is being too soft on you because you're a rebel."

She swats his arm and pushed him to the side. "If I were a rebel, he'd be a little harsh with his treatment."

When she was about to walk to the stairs, Yomo spoke. "You know what, maybe I should just go ahead and tell you. The only reason why anyone would want you around is because you're an easily manipulated whore. Enji is just being nice but actually had secret motives, I can bet even the manager only has you around so he could toy with you."

Irimi stopped walking, clenching her fists.

"Of course you wouldn't notice that if you haven't noticed Uta is doing the same thing." he continued and she turned to face him with a glare, tentacle eyes activated.

"Regardless of their reason for wanting me around, at least they actually  _want_  me around. Unlike you...your team kicked you out, manager picked you up from trash to make use of you for the remaining of your pitiful life."

Silence.

Staredown.

Both their tentacle eyes were activated and their tentacles appearing from their backs, ready to attack. "I won't be mind-controlled the second time I will leave you to die." he says.

"Good, wouldn't want you to blame someone else for your failure."

**CLASH.**

* * *

**[Unknown Location - 3rd Ward]**

Naki was waiting for Mayu to finish showering by the lake. His suit was stained by the mud but he could always wash it another day.

"Naki.."

When he heard her voice, he looked up at her and sees that the clothes he stole for her fit just right. That pink dress was okay. He blushed and quickly turned his attention somewhere else. "It looks good on you."

Mayu sat beside him, registering the quietness around them before she spoke. "Thank you. For everything."

"It was nothing."

"About what you said... two memories. What is it about? How do you know of it?"

Naki took a deep breath. "Just like you, I was in the facility. Same building but they never allowed us to meet." he says. "They'd torture me for months and bring me to different sorts of situations everyday. They were studying how I'd react to it. the simulations change everyday. sometimes it's about pleasure, sometimes pain, physical or emotional."

"They do the same thing to me." Mayu confirmed.

"In my time alone, whenever they'd give me a break, I'd fall asleep to rest. And then my nightmares would come." he continued. "But as I observed these nightmares, I noticed it changes as well. Sure it's still about me suffering and such but I saw my hands were smaller like it belonged to a woman's. And the person torturing me wasn't a woman anymore, it was a man."

"Mine was a man, but in my dreams it was a woman." Mayu shared in contrast of what Naki was saying.

Naki chuckled. "Exactly. It was because, for some reason, the nightmares I have is your memories. And the nightmares you have are my memories." he finally tells her and she gasped.

"How is that possible?"

"I don't know. But when I realized the person in my nightmare was an actual person, I needed to save you. You and big brother that is."

"I wished to be saved too. Me and my friends, Mori-kun and Mi-chan... we've been dreaming to escape but they left me. They didn't have a choice, I don't know. But I believe they didn't intend to leave me."

Mayu forced a smile, wanting to believe on what she was saying.

"What are they doing to us anyway?" she asked.

He shrugged, unsure of it himself. "Probably creating some sort of mentally broken person to follow their bidding without having to trouble themselves with evidences leading back to them. I saw the others who also had partners, part of the project. One of them would lose it and will be bound in some sort of mission until he's dead. The remaining one would later lose it as well and continue the mission of the first one."

"Because they share memories?"

"I think so. But I'm glad I did not break down." Naki said with a grin. "I wouldn't want you to end up being a psychopath doing the killing for this wretched facility."

Mayu blushed and turned away. "Thank you."

"We should get some sleep. We need to cover more ground before the men in black catches us."

* * *

**[Anteiku - 20th Ward]**

The manager comes home, seeing that the wine shelf had fallen, the wine bottles shattered and the wine itself spilled on the floor.

He glared at the two who froze when he entered the shop.

"You. Two. Are.  **Grounded.** "


	11. Anteiku Opening (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Looks like Yomo and Irimi ain't getting along. What does Yoshimura plan to do now?  
> Jason makes a special appearance!

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul.**

**DAYS GONE BY TOKYO 11  
Anteiku Opening Arc - EP3**

Enji was happily walking and humming as he made his way back to Anteiku. His mask was in his bag so he didn't have to worry about walking home wearing a Devil Ape mask. But as he arrived closer to Anteiku, he sees two figures outside of the shop.

"Oh no." he muttered.

Yomo and Irimi were able to sense his presence coming close. Suddenly there was spark in their eyes.

"ENJI!" the two screamed and Enji quickly ran for the door, opening it with his key and locking it behind him as soon as he entered. "No wait Enji!"

Enji leaned on the door, calming his heartbeat down. "You two got grounded for a reason! I don't want to be a part of it!" he shouts at them.

And hope was gone.

* * *

**[Mado Apartment - 20th Ward]**

Kureo opens the door as quietly as he could, entering stealthily and placing his traveling bag to the side. Again, locking the door as quiet as he could. He was sure Kasuka was asleep by now but to be safe, he should. Not. Make. A. Noise.

"Kureo."

Turning around by surprise, he sees his wife glaring at him, hands placed on her hips.

"Did I wake you up?"

"Washuu told us about the loads of tentacles you and Shinohara found." she begins her lecture. "What did you and Shinohara really do in the 3rd Ward?" she inquired And Kureo knew he could not lie to her.

"We were after Jason."

"Jason?"

"The new tentacle you've been hearing about. Hockey mask, habit to kill women, female tentacles to be specific." he says and carried his bag all the way to the living room with Kasuka following him.

"That's where you got the tentacles you sent back here." she deduced.

Kureo placed the traveling bag at the side of the couch and sat down. "Are you worried or you're angry I didn't tell you I left?"

"Both." was the woman's reply. "You're a father now, Kureo. If anything were to happen to you, your child will be fatherless." and her lecture continues.

"You see that's where the problem comes. Whenever I'd leave, it's not okay with you. But whenever  _you'd_  leave for a mission, it's okay." he threw at her. "It's implying that you're okay to die but I'm not."

"You're reckless. I am not. Good thing the 1st Ward did not permit your plan to bait Jason."

Kureo laughed at her words. Sure she was right, but he was a man with full capabilities of taking care of himself. "I love you, I love Akira and I'd love to have another baby in a couple of years or so. But this is my passion. I love doing what I do."

When he saw that the angry glare in his wife's eyes was gone, he knew the coast was clear.

He pulled his wife closer to him and tugged on her to sit next to him so he could cuddle her. "I'm sorry if I worried you. I promise to be careful. Real careful. Okay?" he whispered in her ear and planting a kiss in her cheek. "So how is she?"

"Doctor says she'll be okay after a few more weeks of daily vitamins." Kasuka replies, facing him. Their faces were inches away from each other. "Aura volunteered to watch over her at the hospital until her transfer papers was complete."

Kureo chuckled and pressed his lips to hers. "I swear I have nothing to do with her transfer." he whispered and once again leaned close to kiss his wife.

"I know."

* * *

**[Docks - 20th Ward, 7:12am]**

The Owl drops off the two at the pier along with a bag containing clothes and their mask, before he lands on the ground, his heavy feet making the ground shake shortly. He slowly returned to his human form and he took his mask off.

"Manager, where are we?" Yomo asked, not familiar with the place.

"This is the docks where goods come and go by sea." the manager replied. "Now I know you two don't get along, almost like the young Enji and Kaya two years back. But this has gone to another level and I will  **not**  tolerate you two killing each other in my watch."

"So what do you want to do with us now?" Irimi asked.

"If you're going to fight, I will throw you two in the deep part of the ocean and watch you drown." he threatened. "On the other hand, I want to talk with you about something important."

"More important than the first part you just said?"

"Oh don't worry, I weigh the threatening part as  _much_  important." the manager retorts and Irimi nodded and kept quiet. Yomo on the other hand turned to the manager, wanting to know what he's planning to do to them. "Yomo, about your sister. I found her."

"Y- You did?"

Yomo had a stunned expression, a new kind of face that neither the manager or Irimi had seen before. And it was priceless. Irimi would've sworn she wanted to say something to tease but the manager's threat was floating in her mind.

"Yes. She's in the 12th Ward. I'm giving you time to go and find her, take her back to Anteiku and live peacefully. You'll be part of life and she in yours." the manager says. "The only thing I want is your promise not to ever again, threaten to kill your family. Spite of such terrible treatment towards you."

Yomo turned to the woman beside him, glaring, but in respect of the manager, he nodded. "I promise."

"Then go."

"Wait now?" his eyes blinked, for the second time surprised.

"Yes. Come back whenever you can, there is no rush. Anteiku stays to where you left it." the manager said with a smile.

Yomo turns to his enemy, refraining from glaring and turned back to the manager. "Thank you for everything you've done for me, manager. I'm really sorry for the trouble I've caused."

"Go my boy." he insists and Yomo was on his way. Which leaves... "Now I don't know if you have any family left or friends from the past, but I want you to return to your hometown, find your friends or gang mates, see how their lives are compared to yours."

"What's that going to benefit me?"

"Hopefully respect towards your family and the ability to value what you have." he answered. "Once you see the shattering reality of how far apart your past is from now, then I'm hoping for a new you by the time you get back."

"And if I don't come back?"

"Whether or not you choose to return home, Anteiku's door will always be open for you." the manager assured her.

Irimi said no more and walked away, opposite of where Yomo went. The manager watched the two part ways, both hands behind his back, the smile in his face slowly turning into a frown.

He was worried how things will work out... but he was positive that the results will exceed his expectations.

* * *

**["Jason's Hideout" - 3rd Ward]**

Someone wearing a stained white suit entered the warehouse, seeing that the corpse in his territory was gone, the blood was cleaned and everything else was taken. As well as his tools.

He clenched his fists and ran around the open space, screaming angrily and kicking the ground, throwing a fit.

His companion, Banjou, heard his tantrums and peeked at what was going on.

"Aniki...?" he saw that everything was gone. No limb, no blood, no tentacle, not a trace of anything he's left behind. "Oh no."

"Someone found this place! Someone... is it THEM?! Or is it the  **remaining**  women in my list!?" he shouted. Banjou was unsure but it could either be the doves or the men in black.

"Aniki maybe we should-"

"AHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA!"

"Aniki-"

Jason began to laugh, confusing Banjou at the reaction. Earlier he was angry. Really angry to the point that he threw a fit, but now he was laughing? Maniacally laughing for the matter. He doesn't understand him.

He focused his eyes on the wall that Jason was staring at, seeing that there was a writing engraved in the wall.

' _ **Jason'**_  was written in the wall.

' _What was so funny?'_  Banjou wondered still. It didn't make sense. "Aniki?"

"It's  _them_! The men in black gave me a name! I've earned a reward for killing the majority in the list!" he declared happily. "I was given a  _name_!" he repeated, celebrating at the fact that a name was carved on the wall that pretty much doesn't mean anything to Banjou but almost meant the world to Jason.

"I will find the remaining two in the list. I swear I will finish it."

"Aniki..."

"Banjou, we're leaving this ward by after we clean up. Probably in two days." Jason said, happily caressing the engraved letters on the wall. "We're going to hunt them outside of this ward if we have to."

* * *

**[Anteiku - 20th Ward]**

When Yoshimura arrived back to the shop, Enji was pushing the door closed because was trying to enter. He chuckled and grabbed Uta by the hood. "Let me." he tells the man and Uta stopped trying to push the door open.

He backed away so Yoshimura can do his thing.

"Enji, it's me." he says. "Open the door, we have a lot to talk about."

***door opens***

Enji peeked by the door and sees that it was indeed the manager. Suddenly there was this sudden confidence bursting in him as he slammed the door open and wore his Devil Ape mask, raising the mop towards Uta as if it were a sword.

"Brace yourself and be Owl-ified!" he exclaimed.

"Actually Enji, I called him here." the manager tells him. Enji jawdropped. "I sent Yomo and Kaya away for the time being, hopefully to settle their past and come home a changed person."

"The manager asked if I can help around the shop until one of them returns." Uta explained.

Enji was in shock that he could not say a word to any of them. Nothing but squeaky noises and hand gestures that both the manager and Uta laughed at. "He's not alone by the way."

"EH!?"

Behind Uta, a woman with orange hair arrives, carrying a black purse and was wearing dark shades. "Sorry I'm late!" Itori says as she arrived, panting.

"YOU'RE KIDDING!?"

"Don't worry, Roma is away in some sort of trip with Nico." Uta assured Enji. Even if Enji wasn't saying it, they could read his mind. He was  _panicking_  because he imagined Roma was one of the new recruits. "Just us."

"M- M- Manager!?"

The manager patted him in the back, a smile plastered across his face. "We had a treaty but thanks to Uta's additional conditions, this is allowed to happen." he says. "And besides, he turns Kaya into a woman. That's good enough for me to trust him."

"I still need to approve of this!"

* * *

**[12th Ward]**

Yomo arrives in a new territory. He was wearing his mask to keep his identity hidden.

"Hikari, I'm coming to get you."

* * *

**[13th Ward]**

Mayu and Naki were traveling via the sewers. The two had been hungry since their travel but they kept going. "Naki..."

"It's okay, we'll be fine."

"I can sense that-"

The two stopped walking, their enhanced senses helping them hear out their surroundings, smelling if there are humans and their eyes keen on details. Naki and Mayu were both quiet as they tried to sense if there really was someone tailing them.

Instead they hear a child crying, coming closer and closer.

"Do you hear that?"

They looked around, seeing that it was a child about four years old, crawling in the maze of the sewers. "It's... a baby?"

"She could be bait."

Not wanting to approach the crying child, they kept their distance and looked around the area, being able to sense that there are more people than they thought. "Naki...  _they're_  here."

"Mayu, when I tell you to run, you run."

"I can't."

"It's okay if we are apart, I'll find you using our memories. As long as you're alive, I will find you. I promise." he assured her. "When we reunite, we'll find big bro and your two friends. That's my second promise."

Mayu hesitated to leave. "But-"

From the opposite intersection, they see a dozen men in black, wearing their white masks and annoying black hats. Naki knew he needed to bait himself in order to help Mayu escape.

"RUN!"

* * *

**[Jason's Hideout - 3rd Ward]**

Sleeping on the floor while hugging his wrench, Banjou was lying down far from Jason. He was aware that there are times that the nightmares may cause him to panic and suddenly attack anyone within the area. So for his safety, he needs to keep away from Jason.

Jason was seeing a series of images in his sleep, piles of dead bodies in front of him.

The male torturer laughing after killing all of those people in front of him. He trembled in fear, kneeling down to see the dead bodies closer. He didn't even know them, not single one of them.

The vision he was seeing suddenly changed, from a bloody death scene to a perspective of staring at the remains of the facility he escaped.

Why was he coming back? He didn't know. But he allowed himself to walk in the dream.

Entering the ruins, seeing that it was abandoned, dried blood from previous kills, left over bones from abandoned humans, scratch marks done by tentacles in a struggle. There was no life.

"Why am I here..?" Jason mumbled in his sleep.

Banjou heard him talk, making him wonder what Jason was dreaming about now. "Aniki?"

In Jason's dream, he now sees that he was walking deeper into the facility, seeing the torture equipment once used on him, the tools were still there, the gurney were he was bound for hours.

"No. I don't want to see it again..." he continued to say.

"Aniki wake up."

"I already escaped that darned place!"

His dream continued, seeing the room of black and white tiles, the walls painted black and the lonely bulb hanging by the ceiling. Lights were flickering but it still works. It means there's still power.

He walked and walked, until he stopped by a mirror and Jason did not see his reflection in the mirror, rather, a reflection of a woman wearing an all-black outfit, a black coat and a black dog mask over her face.

She had short hair and her eyes were saying she was a tentacle.

"Who are you?" Jason's body spoke again, making Banjou worry. He risked positioning himself near Jason to wake him up.

"Aniki, it's just a dream. Wake up."

When the woman in the mirror did not answer, rather turned away from the mirror, Jason was angry that he did not get the answer he seeks. "I SAID WHO THE DARNED HELL ARE YOU!?"

"ANIKI!"

Jason awakens and Banjou quickly crawled away to be safe. Jason was panting, sweating even as he realized where he was.

"Aniki, is everything alright?" he asked, worried.

"We have to go back to the facility. The old ruins." Jason ordered, still catching his breath. "It's not far from here."

"But aniki,  _they_  may still be within the area."

"In my dream they  **weren't.** " he said and grabbed his mask and wrench, wearing his mask and heading for the door. "We have a dog to catch."


	12. Looking Glass

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul.**

**A/N: This chapter will entirely be focused on Jason and Irimi. And of course, answers some questions/confusion regarding the Tokyo Tentacle timeline.**

**DAYS GONE BY TOKYO 12  
Looking Glass - EP1**

As Irimi entered the facility she escaped from, the fences were down, the outside was old and the metals were rusty. Looking at the side of the building were piles of dead bodies in front of her. Half-burned and sure the smell was rotten.

Seeing the bodies and the blood reminded her of the male torturer laughing after killing all of these victims in front of her. She trembled in fear at the sight of the living memories she could not forget. She approached the pile of dead bodies, kneeling down to see the dead bodies closer. She recognized some of them by clothing alone but there faces she could barely identify.

They were previous prisoners just like her, just like the others.

She sighed and looked up at the facility that still stands- the remains of the facility she escaped.

Entering the ruins, seeing that it was abandoned, dried blood from previous kills, left over bones from abandoned humans, scratch marks done by tentacles in a struggle. There was no life.

_'Why am I here..?'_

It was that voice in her head again. She ignored it and continued moving forward. It was hard to go back to this wretched facility after all these years but as Yoshimura told her to, she'll see for herself the difference of the past and now.

She walked deeper into the facility, passing by the tunnels and bloodied hallways, seeing the torture equipment once used on her, the tools were still there, the gurney were she was bound for hours.

_'No. I don't want to see it again...'_

The voice continued to speak. She looked behind her, curious if someone nearby was messing with her but there was literally no life in the place. Who could it be?

_'I already escaped that darned place!'_

This time the voice began to shout. She was frightened by the voice and ran. She didn't know where to go but she doesn't plan on leaving that place just yet.

She entered a room with black and white tiles, the walls painted black and the lonely bulb hanging by the ceiling. Lights were flickering but it still works. It means there's still power.

It was the same place in her dreams, she didn't expect it would be as real as this. Almost as if she were the one bound in the metallic chair in the center.

She walked and walked, searching for any sign of life, until she stopped by a mirror and saw herself, a reflection of a woman wearing an all-black outfit, a black coat and a black dog mask over her face.

She had short hair and her eyes were saying she was a tentacle.

But as she stared at herself in the mirror, seeing that once she was just a girl wearing tattered clothing and always bound by bangles, now she was not.

_'Who are you?'_

She felt as if the voice was talking to her this time. Was it her conscience? She walked towards the mirror, staring back at herself. It's not like she expected to see her reflection move on its own, that's just crazy.

Irimi did not answer the voice in her head and walked away from the mirror, she had other things to do.

_'I SAID WHO THE DARNED HELL ARE YOU!?'_

As soon as his loud voice echoed in her head, she fell on her knees, hands covering her ears. For a moment there she blacked out, but she quickly got back to her senses and the voice stopped bothering her.

"That was the first time the nightmares seemed real..." she mumbled to herself.

Shaking her head, she continued to walk around the facility, in hopes of finding anyone from her past that was... still alive.

Arriving in one cell in the deep part of the facility, after several steps down and walking a really dark tunnel, she saw three cells with red metal doors. All doors were open and each of them has one bed placed in the side.

There was hay everywhere accompanied by coagulated blood by whoever owns it.

Remembering the cell on the right was hers, she walked closer to the door frame, seeing the platinum label at the side of the frame; C.P.5258-Kaya.

Her fingers traced the silver frame of the label and touching the engraved letters in the center. She remembered whenever those numbers were mentioned, the people frm the facility meant that it was her.

Every time a simulation would finish, they will evaluate her response to the given situation, whether or not her response was what they wanted she'd never know. But there are times they'd immediately send her back to her cell to rest or redo the simulation over and over.

Thanks to their previous experiments, C-cells virus was created and each prisoner was infected with this virus.

Anyone who was incompatible with the said virus will die. Anyone who can adjust to the virus will live and will become a cannibal in order to survive.

Losing hope, Irimi ended up sitting in one of the empty beds within the facility. "Everyone's gone..." she mumbled to herself.

"So my dream was right."

She looked up and sees someone in the shadows wearing a white suit and a hockey mask to keep his identity a secret. He had a wrench in his hand as well. The other hand in his pocket. "Who are you?"

"My name is Jason. And I'm looking for the last two people on my list."

"You kill for the facility?"

"I kill for myself." he entered the room she was in and closes the door behind him to make sure she doesn't run away when he starts attacking. "Mikajiri Mayu and Kaya Irimi. Does any of these names sound familiar to you?"

Irimi kept a poker-face on. "No."

"Hmph, shame. I thought you could offer me information in exchange that I let you live." he says with a smirk. She was relieved she cannot see his face right now. "But since you got nothing to offer..." he gripped on the wrench in his hand. "...you're joining the rest that I've killed, even if you're not in the list."

When he took a step forward, Irimi's black tentacles appeared to discharge oil in the area and quickly igniting fire between them.

Jason was taken aback by the sudden fire flashing before him. "AH!" he angrily threw himself passed the fire, only to find out that the intruder jumped through the window. "Get back here!"

Black Dober climbed up the wall like a spider, thanks to her tentacles assisting her. Jason followed, his four tentacles helped increase his speed when climbing.

"You're not getting away from  **Jason!** "

When she reached the top, she waited for him to arrive before kicking his face and landing another kick in his chest. Jason coughed, the force dazed him but his grip on the rocks tightened so he wouldn't fall... unfortunately for his wrench though.

The wrench fell on the waters below.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The Black Dober did not want to stay and find out what he wants to do next, so she turned her back on him and attempted to run but she froze at the sight of the lined up bodies hanging under the sun.

The dead bodies were hanging upside down, limbs were chopped off and fingers and toes were separated. Organs were located in the corner, buckets of organs and blood in fact. Eyeballs were placed in jars and stripped off tentacles were also hanging on a long metallic rod like it was being barbequed thanks to the sun's heat.

Her legs froze as bile threatened to rise in her throat.

Recognizing the gray uniforms they were in facility, these women are prisoners as well. Perhaps she even knew them before they were killed like this.

"Do you like my collection?" Jason asked behind her. "I've been practicing my torture methods. Tried stripping their tentacles off without killing them, but so far none were successful."

Too scared to move, she stood in place, her eyes horrified of the sight before her. Is Mayu one of them? Is Yakumo one of them? Is everyone really dead? No, they were all female as she noticed the lumps on the headless bodies' chest.

While she was occupied with the scene, Jason's hands crawled from her hands up to her shoulders, slowly slithering his fingers to her mask.

"Let's see if my ability to strip someone's tentacles have improved, Black Dober."

"Aaaaaaaaaggghhhh!"

Crimson tentacles manifested on her back, pushing Jason off with enough force to push him off the rooftop. It was thanks to his four tentacles that he did not fall into the deep waters below.

"Arrrgh!" he angrily crawled back up.

He can smell the scent of something burning and see the black smoke rise in the sky as he climbed.

**"NO!"**

When he got up, he sees his collection covered in fire and Black Dober was still discharging enough oil to lit the whole facility on fire. Raging at the sight of it, he dashed towards her, fists clenched and roaring loudly.

**"NOT MY COLLECTION!"**

Pushing her off the rooftop out of intense anger for burning his prized possessions, she fell from that height and into the waters. Jason still angrily throwing rocks and trying to salvage what he could.

Banjou arrived from the door, panting. "Aniki, what happened?!" turning to the scent where the smoke was from, he saw that everything was on fire. "Oh no."

"NOOOO!"

"Aniki, calm down!"

"I WILL KILL HER! I SWEAR I WILL KILL HER!"

"Who Aniki? What happened? Are  _they_  here? Did the doves arrive?" he tried calming his big brother down. He turned to the side where he saw the burn marks where Black Dober once stood. He peeked below to see the ripples on the water. "That person is dead, from this height and the water current." he concluded. "Aniki you already got your revenge. Please calm down now."

" ***pant*** My collection.. ***pant** everything is gone.. ***pant..*** it's gone."

"It's okay, you got your revenge. We can always get more."

"No they were the ones in my list! I am supposed to give the bodies to  _THEM! **"**_

"They'd understand. Just breathe. We have to get out of here before the doves arrive."

* * *

**[Anteiku - 20th Ward]**

Eleven days since Yomo and Irimi left Anteiku...

Enji was bored, he was alone- well not literally alone- he was accompanied by the two Clown members that wasn't hostile towards them the same way Roma was. But it was good, Uta and Itori didn't seem so bad.

But of course he missed his original company.

"Enji."

"Yes manager?"

Enji walked towards the manager who was by the counter. Uta and Itori were the ones cleaning up after the last customer had left the premises. "I am worried about Kaya. Eleven days is too long."

"But didn't you say that they can take their time doing what they do?" Enji says, remembering that's how it was explained to him eleven days back.

"If you were her, would you have stayed away this long?" the manager asked back.

Enji thought about it, he had a point. He was used to living under the manager's care that he couldn't even imagine living away from the manager, Yomo or his former rival. "What do you want me to do then?"

"Go to the 3rd Ward, find her. But be careful, the 3rd Ward is filled with tentacles who lost their mentality and morality thanks to the unknown facility kidnapping young tentacles for unknown experiments." he explained.

Enji gulped. "That's one freaky hometown. Where do I start looking for her?"

"Follow the doves. I believe they will lead you to an abandoned facility where young tentacles were once taken to."

"If the doves has her?"

"Come back immediately."

"Yes manager!"

* * *

**[3rd Ward]**

Enji did as he was told, he followed doves who left for missions and go back to their branch office. It took him two days max before one of the doves before he was led to an abandoned facility as the manager says.

He saw that they were cleaning up the wreckage after it's been burned down.

' _Burned down? Fire... she's here somewhere!'_

He took the chance to separate from the doves and start tracking. He still recognizes the scent of his rival, living with her for over two years was not going to erase that familiar sweet scent she always carry.

So he walked down and sees the river with a strong current. He followed it until he's arrived to the woods.

Seeing blood trails from the side and walking into the woods, he sighed and followed it until he sees that the trail has gotten thicker. Passed the boulder and the bushes, he sees the woman lying down.

"Found you!"

He quickly dashed beside her, taking her mask off and seeing if she had a pulse. She was still breathing and she had a pulse.

"Darn, don't tell me you've been unconscious for eleven days." he says and guided her body to sit up and lean her back to the nearest tree. "I should call the manager." he says and took his phone to start dialing the manager's number.

Irimi's eyes shot open and Enji saw that her red eyes were brighter than it's natural color, he scoots backward as she leaned away a bit from the tree so her tentacles could manifest and discharge its dangerous liquids, ready to ignite the fire and burn him alive.

**SPARK!**

"WHOA WAIT! wait wait it's me! ENJI! Enji Koma Devil Ape!"

She halted her attack, her eyes trying to focus on the blurred figure in front of her. When she was certain it was Enji, she leaned back on the tree, tentacles returning to her back and disappearing in sight. Her ragged breathing slowing down.

"Geez, stop burning everything down." he joked to lighten up her mood. Hopefully effective. "Where have you been? The manager's worried."

"Everyone's dead."

"Yeah I saw." he says, remembering the dead bodies that CCG was cleaning up back at the abandoned facility. "So what? You've been sulking?"

"I don't remember. I just remembered I fell. And woke up just now."

Enji chuckled. "So you  _were_  sleeping all this time!" he kept his phone back in his pocket, assured now that she was fine, all that's left is bring her home. "Come on, let's go back home. For the record, I'm only going to say this because I don't like having Uta or Itori around."

"Uta?"

"Yep. Manager asked for their help since you and Yomo aren't back yet." Enji explained. "Don't tell me you missed him more than your big brother!"

Irimi glared at him, the glare he missed seeing. "You're not my big brother. Now bug off!"

"That's the Irimi I love and know!" he says happily and got back to his feet. He offered his hand towards her so he can help her stand. "Come on, I'm not kidding, I really missed you back at the shop and so we can kick the Clowns out."

* * *

**[13th Ward]**

Seven years later...

Jason had been terrorizing everyone in the 13th Ward in his attempt to finish his so-called mission. The hunt for the remaining two people in his list. His hunt seemed pointless, so he ended up hunting humans as well, just for fun.

His hunt was almost like nothing but chasing a dream...

...until that dream.

_"What ward is this?" a little girl with violet hair asked him. He didn't know what she was asking, or why the little girl was looking at him like they were close friends. He wanted to kill her._

_"20th Ward." he heard a woman reply. But it wasn't him._

_"My parents is all the way in the 12th Ward right? Are they still alive?" she continued to ask. She was cute, but Jason only finds her interesting to kill._

_He wanted to choke her, choke her to death. When he saw hands of a woman lifted up and going for the girl's neck, he smirked, but then it changed course and both hands placed on opposite shoulders._

_His perspective changed when the woman bent her knees to see the child eye to eye. "Maybe Maybe you can ask your uncle when he comes back."_

_"He doesn't tell us anything. He just stare at us, so scary!"_

_The child wasn't cute, he just wanted to kill her. Even in his dreams he was being disobeyed!_

_"Then I'll ask him."_

_"Can you also tell him I want to see my mom and dad again? Ayato misses them too."_

_Jason wanted to frown, he wanted to laugh so bad at the pathetic request of this little one. He wanted to bash her little skull with his wrench but the woman wasn't holding one. He wanted to punch her then, punch the kid to death._

_But instead, the woman smiled and wrapped her arms around the little one, making Jason exclaim in disgust as the dream continued._

_When the embrace had stopped, Jason was able to breathe. "So when can I get my own mask?"_

_"Mask?"_

_"You know, something like yours. Black Dober right?" hearing that from the child made him interested in his dream after all. "What am I going to be?"_

_'What is this dream? Interesting...'_

Jason opened his eyes, awakening from his dream at last. The smirk was still plastered across his face. He turned to his follower and jumped up. "Banjou, we're going to the 20th Ward."

"Aniki?" Banjou said and yawned.

"My dream is telling me to go there."

"But the last time you followed your dream, it led you to your burned possessions."

"Exactly. My dream is telling me where to go, so I will follow it."

* * *

**[Somewhere in the 20th Ward]**

_[Within the Rabbit Love Arc timeline...]_

"Why are we still sticking around in this boring ward?"

"Because aniki said so."

"Everyone is on a curfew already, not much victims since then."

"Shh, aniki is coming!"

While the men were whispering to each other, a man in white suit joins their conversation, dragging with him two women squirming from his tight grip. He threw the two in the middle of the circle, surprising the four men with him.

"They were easy prey but they're not my type." the man, Jason, says.

The three manifested their tentacles and each of them grabbed what they could. Tearing up the girls' clothing and keeping their mouths shut. The fourth man did not join yet, worried about his boss.

"A- Are you sure boss? You haven't had sex with anyone yet." one of them said. "Playing with women ain't gonna cut it. A-cells won't give you a break."

"Squeezing nipples and and licking clits is fine for me. But I'm not going to put my dick inside a woman that I don't like." Jason sat down at the corner.

"Maybe if we check another ward we'll find some worthy girls." he suggested.

"No. After CCG's unsuccessful capture for that fat wench, there will be two effects to this ward." Jason says. And raised his index finger. "One, humans will be scared but CCG will try to calm them down by raising their hunting parties." Then he raised another finger. "Two, tentacles will believe they have a chance to live in this ward without getting caught."

Jason got back to his feet, carrying his wrench.

"Whether or not those effects are good for us, I know that among the commotion I can find someone worthwhile."

' _My dream said so. My dream told me I am close to finding that tentacle who just made my hunting a little more interesting. Black Dober, I know you live in the 20th Ward. Wherever you are, I will come and find you.'_


	13. Father Owl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yoshimura's side of the story.

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul.**

**A/N: Last update for the day. If you guys have questions, just ask and I will answer. For now, Yoshimura's side of the story. I wrote what timeline it happened so you won't be confused. And now, let's start!**

**DAYS GONE BY TOKYO 13  
** **Father Owl - EP1**

**_[Apes, Dogs and Ravens Part 2 timeline...]_ **

Yoshimura arrives at a certain bar, leaving his two companions at the back alley.

"I'll be negotiating an affordable price for the shop." Yoshimura tells them. "I need you two to stay here and behave. Is that hard to do?"

"No." the two said in unison and the elder smiled.

"Good. I'll be back."

Yoshimura entered the bar, leaving the two alone outside.

* * *

Matasaka Kamishiro. An old friend who runs the bar called "Orca". Kamishiro and Gil were waiting for Yoshimura to arrive.

"Finally." Kamishiro says, chuckling as he raised the glass of coffee in his hand. "You're late for once, Kuzen." he says but later was able to smell the scent of other tentacles outside. "You brought company."

"Picked up some youngsters back in the 13th Ward." Yoshimura replies as he sat on the chair next to Kamishiro.

"Need a bunch of fools to run your shop?"

"Yes they are a handful pair but they are not fools." Yoshimura glanced over at Gil to motion for him to make some coffee for him. Gil nodded. "But the reason I took them was because one of them has Ukina's scent."

"She's long gone, Kuzen. Don't push it."

Kamishiro finished his cup of coffee but Yoshimura displayed a serious face. "I spend a lot of time with Ukina, long enough to know she is a human. And long enough to know that when she died, I was not able to bury her when  _they_  came and attacked me. They took her body."

"They're not going to care for a dead human."

"I think she's pregnant."

Gil dropped the cup in his hand by accident and Kamishiro froze. "Sorry." Gil mumbled and took another cup to fill for Yoshimura's coffee.

"The baby probably died with her. Moreover, what made you think that she was pregnant? Even if it were true, that baby is not developed yet and obviously died already."

"You don't know what the facility is capable of."

Kamishiro leaned back in his seat, pondering on Yoshimura's words. "Assuming the baby survived, what does these two runts have to do with it?" he asked.

Gil walked towards them to refill Kamishiro's coffee and give Yoshimura his before leaving.

"One of them reeks of the facility's scent. I need your help to dig about them." Yoshimura says and Kamishiro chuckled, finally getting the idea. "Enji Koma and Kaya Irimi are both from the 13th Ward. See what you can find."

"Why not ask them directly? If they've seen your wife or a baby?"

"They wouldn't know. They're too careless of everything. What I need is the location of the new facility. The one in the 1st Ward I already destroyed but it seems they have more branches."

Turning to his old friend, Yoshimura, he once again pondered on the matter. "Finding the new facility, right?"

"Yes."

"Gil, prepare to close the bar. We're going for a little trip."

"Yes sir!" Gil left to wash the dishes in a hurry while Yoshimura was smiling at his friend.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Kamishiro says and once again was bothered by the smell outside. "Better keep your runts in control, that fire outside is going to catch some doves' attention."

* * *

**[ _Apes, Dogs and Ravens Part 3 timeline...]_**

"But I want to check on the doves too. I don't want to shop, that's a  _girl's_  job!"

"You know the drill, we shop alternately."

"I did the shopping yesterday too!" Enji shouts at her.

"Okay fine, Enji go check on the doves, Kaya go buy more supplies to restock our loss." Yoshimura decided to be fair. Enji this time began to laugh loudly. "Take some cash from the register."

"Yeah, go and be a girl, stinking mutt." Enji teased and ran to his room as fast as he could.

Irimi scowled at him but did not chase him. She sluggishly walked towards the cash register to take some money, pocketing it without counting it. Yoshimura knew that she wasn't the 'girly type' so this sort of stuff was a bore to her.

Enji later returned wearing a white hoodie and black pants. "Devil Ape is on the job!" he exclaimed happily. "See ya mutt!"

He hopped out through the back door to refrain from passing by her. Irimi just shot me a glare and walked out through the front door.

"They'll be fine." Yoshimura said with a shrug.

Yoshimura was headed for his office, he heard a loud thud in the roof, followed by a knocking sound in the door. He turned around and saw a silhouette figure just leave in a hurry.

_'He's back.'_

* * *

Meeting up with his friend in the closed bar called 'Orca', Yoshimura slipped in the shadows and entered the back door.

There he saw Gil and Kamishiro had just arrived. "That's quite a long trip. What do you know?" he greeted.

Kamishiro chuckled and took his cloak off, throwing strips of tentacles towards Yoshimura who dodged it. "There's a facility in the 3rd Ward, it's abandoned now and some crazy guy with a hockey mask lives there, killing a bunch of female tentacles in his list."

"There was nothing in the facility?"

"Like I said, it's abandoned. Whatever was being conducted there had long stopped." he eyed the tentacles he threw, "Those belong to some kind of collection in the rooftop, just wanted to prove to you I went there."

Yoshimura was not entertained by the joke but Kamishiro still laughed. "Anything else?"

"Well, I read something you may be interested in. 'CP2582-Kaya', sounds familiar?"

"Yes."

"No 'Enji Koma' or 'Ukina' or unknown baby in the facility. Just that." Kamishiro said as he slumped down his seat and Gil rushing to the kitchen to prepare some coffee. "Disappointed?"

"Took you two years just to get  _that_  little information?" Yoshimura doubts that's all there is to it.

"I checked all the wards again, making sure if I missed anything. But there was no sign of any other suspicious facilities like that one. No leads either as to who the person behind the facility is or what the purpose is."

Kamishiro locked his eyes on Yoshimura who seemed cliffhanged by the news he's got.

"I'm sorry old friend, but I believe you are chasing dreams. Ukina is long dead and there is  _no_ baby."

"A child then?"

"Hmm, now that you mentioned it. One of the rooms seemed to belong to a little girl. But like I said, the facility is abandoned so whoever it was who lives in the room is no longer there."

"A daughter?" Yoshimura claimed, almost hopeful to hear that it was his.

"Don't get your hopes up. It could be coincidence. She could be the warden's daughter or something."

Gil arrives carrying a tray where two cups and one coffee pot was placed. He leaves it on the table beside Kamishiro before running back to the kitchen to start cleaning the two years he's not cleaned.

"Or I could be right." Yoshimura says and was headed for the door to leave.

"What do you plan on doing now?"

Stopping on his tracks, Yoshimura gripped on the doorknob before answering, "To find my daughter."

"You've no idea what she looks like. Not even her name." Kamishiro says. "But I do know someone who can help you out."

"No thanks."

* * *

_**[Post Clowns Arc timeline...]** _

The manager placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled. "You're not lost anymore. And you are not alone. We are your family."

"Yoshimura-san..."

"Please stay with us, Yomo."

"Yes, I will. I'll stay. Thank you."

* * *

When Yomo also had gone to bed, Yoshimura leaves the shop to visit an old friend. Orca was closed that hour but Kamishiro and Gil were busy pleasuring themselves with two different human girls to keep their A-cells in control when Yoshimura slammed the door open, wearing his mask and brown cloak while in his Owl form.

This frightened the woman and Kamishiro was forced to knock them out.

"Kuzen, why the battle gear?" he asked in a friendly manner but Yoshimura stomped towards him, grabbing him by the neck to lift him up on the floor.

"You sent the Clowns to get them!?"

Gil kept his distance but was waiting for Kamishiro's orders to attack if ever. Kamishiro laughed and freed himself from Yoshimura's grip so he can land back down on the floor. "You catch on real fast."

"Why would you do that?!"

"You said you wanted to find your daughter." Kamishiro defended. "If Gypsy got through their memories than that's problem solved for you. You'll find Ukina's burial site and the truth if you really have a child!"

"The Gypsy's powers have side effects. It  _will_  damage them."

"Isn't the reason for keeping them is because you need them for something? Unless of course, you grew fond of the runts."

The Owl returned to his human form but was still growling angrily. "I'll find my daughter in my own way. And those two are off limits for you or the Clowns. If any of you dares to touch them again, I will end you."

"And the Raven kid?"

"Even the Raven kid is part of my family now. Don't even think about it."

* * *

_**[Anteiku Opening Part 1 timeline...]** _

Everyone was cleaning up after the big day. It was a success no doubt and more people will be coming back by tomorrow, so they better brace themselves for another round of service.

Enji was wiping the tables while Yomo was mopping the floor. Irimi was outside wiping the glass downstairs.

Yoshimura was in his room, thinking what could his life have been if he found out sooner about his wife or his 'daughter' he's never even seen before.

' _Ukina... I just wish we could be together again...'_

Drifting off in his memories, he smiled as he remembered the woman still alive and always smile at him, not being scared or pushing him away despite knowing he was a tentacle and she was a human.

_"So you're name is Kuzen? Nice to meet you. You can call me Ukina." the woman tells him. "I am grateful that you found me poking around the fence instead of the guards. They would've confiscated my journal."_

_"Your journal?"_

_"It's where I write EVERYTHING about my travels!" she says excitedly. "You can see here some entries when I was in the 2nd Ward." she began to say as she opened her brown notebook to show him the many pages filled with her writing._

_"It must be fun to be free..." he mumbled while she spoke._

_But Ukina was able to catch the little words he spoke. "Yes it is. But it's actually much better if I travel with someone."_

_"Why? When you're alone, you can do whatever you want. No need to worry about others slowing you down or worry if others are sick or what."_

_Ukina chuckled and pinched his cheeks._

_"Ow hey!"_

_"When you're alone you have no one to talk to, no one to hug when you feel sad, no one to cry to when you need someone's comfort. Being alone is like dying while you're still alive."_

_Kuzen saw that her tone was hinting she was sad, he didn't mean to make her feel sad._

_"How about you come visit me here? I'd love to listen to all your stories." he offered and was relieved when he saw her smile again. "I am not allowed to leave so, it would be cool to listen to you."_

_"That's a great idea!" she says happily. "Everyday, 6 o'clock, don't be late!"_

Yoshimura awakened from his memories when he heard Koma and Yomo outside the shop, followed by Kaya and Uta's voices. He peeked outside to see Yomo pushing Uta away from the woman.

You attacked first but... consider this mercy."

As soon as he walked away, the two boys glared at Irimi for what had just happened.

"He was here to deliver something." was her same excuse but the two boys kept their arms crossed.

"From now on, I'm the older brother of this family." Enji claimed the spot. "And you're grounded."

"Okay no problem."

"Grounded that means staying in your room and not sleeping outside with that guy."

"What gives you the right!?"

"I'm the older brother." Enji boldly declared. Yomo would've wanted that role but he let Enji take the role, for his sake.

Yoshimura chuckled at the three but his eyes turned to focus on Uta who was walking away. He had business with that young man.

* * *

Sneaking out of the shop to follow after Uta, he made sure to bring his mask and cloak with him, but hopefully not frighten the latter.

"Uta." he bellowed and Uta stopped walking to face the Owl.

"I hope you're not here to eat me alive, Owl." Uta joked but remained poker-faced. "Renji attacked me first but for his sake I will not tell Roma anything. Are you happy to hear that?"

"Yes but that's not what I'm here for."

"What is it?"

"Yomo has a sister." he begins his statement, "Who is she and what do you know about her?"

"Renji doesn't talk about her much." he replied with a shrug.

"You have an informant friend, yes?"

Uta nodded. "Itori."

"How much in exchange for her location?"

"I have no assurances if Itori could find someone she doesn't know, but if you're asking for a price, then I'd like your approval about my offer to your underling." Uta negotiated his price, the Owl snarled. "You asked for a price."

"That's her choice to make."

"She agrees but of course, the approval of the master strengthens my offer." Uta explained.

"Fine. But if you do not find the location, I will retract my approval."

"Of course." When the Owl turned his back on Uta to return back to the shop before the three realizes he left, Uta took one step forward, hesitating to ask, but here goes his question. "Why do you care where Renji's sister is?"

The Owl stopped walking. "After your 'betrayal' as he calls it, he's been difficult to trust others and just loves picking a fight with the two. If his sister is the key to change him, then I'll find her."

"You believe it then. About me being controlled when I sold his lover." Uta asked yet another question.

"No." Owl replied sternly. "I believe you took the blame because you didn't want to tell him  **he**   _sold_  his own lover under Gypsy's control." after saying so, he heard a soft gasp from Uta and he chuckled. "I've lived long enough to know that people like you will protect a friend from the truth."

"Don't tell him."

"I won't, but one day  _you_  should." the Owl said before leaving, jumping high in the sky and disappearing in the dark.


	14. Kirishima Siblings Arc (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Kirishima Siblings join the timeline!

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul.**

**A/N: Yeah for those who finds some scenes familiar yes it is the flashback that Touka had in Jason's Obscenity Arc.**

**DAYS GONE BY TOKYO 14  
Kirishima Siblings Arc - EP1**

Arriving back home- Anteiku- Enji and Irimi entered the shop were the manager had been waiting worriedly. When he saw them enter through the door, his smile was wide but was worried when he saw the blood stains all over her clothes.

He can sense that the wound had already healed and the blood just dried up already so he didn't ask if she were alright.

"Kaya,"

"They're all dead." was the first thing she said. "I'm all alone." she mumbled, the gory collection that the man called 'Jason' had on the rooftop makes her feel sick.

"We're here."

The manager wrapped his arms around her, Enji did the same. "You're not alone." Enji whispered.

"We're here."

* * *

_**[Many years later...]** _

Yomo was walking towards Anteiku, holding the hand of a young girl in his right and the hand of a young boy on his left. The two children were shivering in fear and out of the coldness of the weather.

"Where are we going Uncle?" the little girl asked.

"Your new home."

The little girl saw the shop, reading the sign that says 'Anteiku'. The little boy followed her gaze and the two quietly allowed their uncle to lead them to this new location. Yomo tried to open the door but it was locked. He saw in his watch that it was still early so everyone was probably asleep.

"Maybe we should come back ano-"

The two kids began to knock and he quickly pulled them away from the door. "You don't just grab a doorknob uncle, you knock!" the kids scolded him.

"We're leaving." he ordered and was about to turn his back on the door when he heard the sound of the lock unlocking. The door opens and a woman with long black hair peeked at the door before opening it widely.

"Ah, welcome back, Yomo-san."

"Wow cool uniform!"

"Are you a real waitress?"

The two kids were immediately charmed. The woman knelt down to their level, smiling at them. "Yep. The shop is still closed but I can make an exception. What would you like to order?"

"Hot chocolate!" the two kids at the same time.

"Okay but you'll have to be quiet because the others are still sleeping." she tells them and the two kids shh'd each other. She points to a certain table for them to wait while she prepares their breakfast.

Yomo enters the shop and closes the door behind him. "You can drop the act around me." he says firmly. "I won't fall for it."

"Coffee it is then." she says and went to the kitchen.

"I didn't-!"

"Uncle sit with us!"

Yomo sighed and allowed himself to sit with the kids while waiting for his coffee. He watched the two kids happily talking with each other. Earlier they were so down, so sad, but now they've livened up. Good news for him.

When Irimi went back carrying a tray where three mugs were placed, the two kids excitedly took their hot chocolate from the tray.

"Uncle will pay for this right?" the little girl says.

"My, my, will he pay?"

"I work here you idiot!"

"Uncle it's rude to call people names!"

Yomo ruffled both of the kids' hairs, took the mug and eyed the woman shortly before muttering his apologies and taking a sip of the coffee. "Kids, stay with this witch while I get back to work." he stands from his seat and walked away.

"Uncle is really nice, he's just like that." the boy tells Irimi. "My name is Ayato by the way."

"Nice to meet you Ayato. What about you?"

"My name... my name is... Touka! Kirishima Touka!"

"It's very nice to meet you Touka-chan, Ayato-kun." she tells them with a smile.

Yomo was hiding behind a wall, finishing the coffee that he had to admit was good. He remembered that she couldn't even make one single coffee that wasn't too sweet or too bitter, but now it was perfect, almost as if the manager was the one who made it.

What exactly happened for the past years?

Enji exits his room to see Yomo hiding. "Oh Yomo, morning. I didn't know you were back." Enji greeted, still yawning. "Did the manager see you yet?"

"No." he said, his eyes locked on the empty cup in his hand. "What happened when I was gone?"

"The manager asked Uta and Itori to help around the shop." Enji said, the names made Yomo shudder, followed by the pent up anger he's been harboring since he left the Clowns. "They've honestly been good company compared to the first time we met them." he admitted, hopefully to calm Yomo's nerves.

"So they're together..."

Enji tilted his head to the side, trying to put together the pieces of what Yomo's problem was. He eyed the empty cup in his hand then glanced over at the table where two kids were happily telling stories to the woman they both treated as their rival in the past. When Enji had figured out what's wrong, he smirked. His signature smug smirk.

"So you met the new Irimi." Enji spoke.

"It's disgusting."

"After the manager sent you two on some life-changing journey of some sort, I had to pick her up at the 3rd Ward. She didn't say anything but mourn that everyone she knew was dead and that she was alone." Enji explained. "The following day, she just showed up for work, a neat woman."

"I see..." he says, not noticing that he sounded relieved.

Once again, the ginger-haired man caught the slight relief in his face. "I believe what you're interested to know is her relationship with your former comrade." Enji said, getting Yomo's attention.

"No I am not intere-"

"They're close friends. That's about it."

Yomo was quiet. Confused with how he should be expressing himself. A lot had changed since he left Anteiku.

He then felt Enji placed an arm over his shoulder and leaned close to him. "Sooo, are you going to introduce me to your cute children? Or should I make an introduction for myself?" he says.

"They're not my children.. they're my sister's.."

"And where is the pretty Yomo?"

"She's dead. But they don't know that... I can't tell them."

Enji saw the sadness in his eyes and thought that he just needed a cheering up. "I'm sorry." he said first. "For this." he grabbed Yomo by the arm and dragged him back to the shop. "Hello kiddos!" he greeted.

Touka and Ayato turned to see Enji dragging their uncle towards them.

"Whoa another one!"

"Look he's also wearing a uniform!"

"My name is Enji Koma. I am also known... as the  _Devil Ape_." he began to gloat. "I think you'd be interested to hear the stories about the famed Devil Ape back in the days."

Both of the kids jumped on Enji and began playing with his hair and messing his uniform. Enji was caught in surprise and was defenseless as he was attacked by these young ones.

The commotion caught the manager's attention who had just arrived in the first floor. He saw Yomo and the two kids he's never seen before.

"Yomo."

"Manager."

The two kids looked up at the manager, saw that he was wearing the similar uniform that Enji and Irimi were wearing. "Uncle, does he also work here?" Ayato asked. "Is he your father Koma-san?" he asked, looking down on Enji since he was lying down on Enji's stomach.

"No he's the manager of the shop." Enji replies.

"My name is Yoshimura. And you two must be Yomo's niece and nephew." the manager guessed.

Ayato nodded. "My name is Ayato!"

"And I am Touka!"

"What a pleasure to have you two around."

* * *

**[Evening, 10:32pm]**

Enji was sighing as he left his room, wiping off the sweat dripping on the side of his face. The red mask in his hand. "Whew, putting Ayato to sleep was harder than I imagined." he says as he arrived in the first floor where Irimi had finished cleaning up. "Touka's already asleep!?"

"Tucked her to bed, fell asleep when I went back with more pillows." she replied as she took the hair binder off her hair, letting her hair long hair down.

Enji scoffed, still not used to how she grew her hair since then. "Going out tonight?" he asked, "It's my shift to do the perimeter checks."

"Going out yes, going on a perimeter check, nope." she answered as she also took the tie off her uniform and placed it on the counter. Enji chuckled and dashed to her side.

"A night with Uta then?"

"With Uta  _and_  Itori." she corrected and pinched his ear, he jumped away.

"Okay adding Itori doesn't make it safe. He could plan a threesome or something." Enji continued to tease. "Want me to tag along? Makes the odd number even."

"I'll come." Yomo said all of the sudden, shocking the two.

"Ah Yomo, you're awake! Good I need a perimeter check partner!" Enji says.

"Actually, manager wants to talk to you about something." Irimi says, making Yomo squint his eyes. "It's about Touka and Ayato I believe. You should tell the manager something."

Enji noticed that there was some sort of rising tension so he clicked his tongue and dashed for the door. "See ya two! Make sure you don't break the wine shelf! Oh yes, there is  _no_  wine shelf anymore, but still though. Bye!"

Yomo went to the manager's office while Irimi went back to her room.

* * *

"Manager."

"About your sister..."

"She.. she didn't make it. I could only save them." Yomo said, angry and yet mourning. "Can they stay? Neither of them have developed their tentacles yet, their A-cells are weak so pleasuring them won't be a problem until their tentacles manifest."

"I see."

Yoshimura leaned back in his seat, considering the next step that they should do now. "I want to do more missions." Yomo says.

"You're leaving your niece and nephew?"

"They're in good hands." Yomo replied confidently but Yoshimura can sense something else.

"You don't want to tell them the truth." he struck the bullseye. Yomo stiffened in his seat, Yoshimura was sharp. "I understand but the fear of you not saying anything is just going to hurt them when they find out from someone else."

"They're kids. One day they'll forget."

"No Yomo, they won't forget. You're only delaying the truth from them."

"I need time." he reasoned out.

Yoshimura decided to respect Yoshimura's decision and nodded. "Okay. I'll give you a mission. But please stay for another day and bond with them."

* * *

**[Anteiku - 20th Ward, 9:13am]**

Another day has begun, Enji welcomed the customers like he usually does and Touka and Ayato assisted for the first time. The two were able to enjoy what they were doing, even if there was human customers within the area, they weren't bothered.

"Table 2, Ayato." Enji says and gives Ayato a cup of coffee to deliver.

"Yes table 2, Koma-san!"

Taking the cup from Enji, he carefully walked towards the customer in the table and delivered his coffee. The customer smiled at how cute Ayato was, wearing formal clothes that they bought for Ayato.

Touka as well was wearing formal dress to make her cute. And like her brother, she was also assisting the Anteiku crew.

It was a normal day and the kids were having fun, not even noticing that their uncle wasn't around.

The door opens and Ayato sensed that the new customers were dangerous. He saw the familiar silver briefcase they were holding and he can smell that it wasn't a simple briefcase, a tentacle was inside. A tentacle turned into a weapon that is.

"Wow this place livened up since we last visited it." Kureo says with a smile.

"And look! They have a kiddie crew." Shinohara was the first to notice the young Ayato.

Ayato froze, he was afraid. Should he attack? Was he supposed to attack? These doves had something to do with why he and Touka had to leave home. That's why... that's why...

"AH!"

"Ayato, wait!"

Ayato jumped on Kureo, pulling on his tie and angrily landing his small fists on his stomach. Kureo did not even budge from his position and the two investigators were shocked to see what they boy was doing.

Touka was humiliated but she froze as well. What was she supposed to do? If these investigators fight back, they will take her too.

Shaking her head, Touka mustered enough courage to run to aid her brother but before she could do that, someone grabbed her arm. "Touka shh..." the woman tells her softly and she calmed her heartbeat down. "Stay here."

"Ayato!" Enji immediately came to pull Ayato away from their customer.

"I think he was afraid of your office." Shinohara decided to just joke about it for the boy's sake. Kureo though, was suspicious of the boy's reaction.

Kureo knelt down, staring at Ayato eye to eye, his lonely round eye widening more as he leaned close to Ayato. "Say little boy, why did you attack me? Hmm? Does it have something to do with the case I have?" he intimidated.

Ayato hid behind Enji's legs in fear. "Uhm I'm really sorry sir, he's uh, he's the manager's nephew. It's the first time he's seen uh, men of your age."

"Really?" Kureo stood up, looking down on the ginger-haired man.

"Let it go, Kureo." Shinohara says.

Enji tried to construct some kind of reasonable excuse, sure it was awkward, but he needed to come up with something. "Why attack someone of my age? Hmm?" he pressed, making Enji sweatdrop.

"Err, well..."

Irimi pats Ayato in the head before arriving to Enji's side, lowering her head to the customer to apologize. "The boy was just frightened by your presence, sir. We are very sorry for that. Please let us treat you and your company for a cup of coffee in return."

"Is there really no reason for it?"

"Kureo it's pkay, we already get a free coffee for it." Shinohara says.

"You know kids, they see something they don't want to see if they don't sleep early." she eyed the ring in his finger, assuming that he was married. "Don't you agree?"

Kureo hmphed, remembering that Akira sure  _see_  things sometimes but never to result to attack someone.

"Come on man." Shinohara says, pulling on his comrade's arm. "Sorry, thank you for the free coffee. We'll be taking our seat now."

"Alright, make the coffee a double please." Kureo requested instead.

"Right away sir." she affirmed, once again lowering her head as the two went to find an empty seat. She turned back to Enji who guided Ayato back to the stock room for privacy. Touka quickly ran to check on her little brother.

"Ayato, that was ridiculous." she scolds.

Ayato began to sob."He scared me. And the thing he was holding... nee-chan you can smell it too right? Why are we serving them?"

' _Oh boy, he's gonna cry, I just know it.'_  Enji thought.

Enji gestured for Irimi to talk to the kids while he prepares the coffee for the doves. The woman knelt down to pat Ayato in the head, "He doesn't know, okay? But if you do that again, he will have an idea."

"You almost got us in trouble." Touka mumbled and Ayato glared at her, tears still dripping in his eyes.

"But I didn't mean it!"

"Then what was that!?"

"I said I didn't mean it!"

"Touka, go help Koma-san." Irimi instructed and Touka stomped towards the kitchen. She turned back to Ayato who was still shivering after getting in contact with a dove. "Touka was just worried for you."

"She always blame me like it's my fault, how is that worried? She never apologizes when she's wrong too!" he said, sniffing.

"Would you rather blame someone else then?"

"No but... I just want her to admit she was wrong for once." he says. "I didn't mean what I did. I got scared. Why won't she believe me?" when he was in tears, the woman was confused what to do. Neither she or Enji had handled children before, no wonder Enji was so ready to volunteer to make the coffee.

"Come here." pulling the boy for a hug, Ayato let out a sob until he's surrounded by her warmth, slowly he stopped crying and closed his eyes.

' _I miss, my mother...'_

* * *

At the end of the day, Yoshimura arrived with the new stocks he got and of course, new recipes to study so they can serve more dishes to the customers. He was told about the ruckus Ayato did and was worried.

Sure they escaped suspicion now but that dove will not let it go until he proves to himself everything is fine.

Yoshimura instructed to separate the two kids for a while and he'll contact Yomo.

Little Touka was sitting down the counter, watching Koma clean the tables and teaching Ayato to clean one too. Her uncle left for another mission and she and her brother are being babysitted by these two people at the shop.

"Do you also have a naughty little brother, Irimi-san?"

"Nope. Only child."

"You must be lucky. Ayato always causes me trouble." Touka says, her legs kicking in the air. Earlier that day she and Ayato had a fight, resulting for Koma to look after Ayato and Irimi taking care of the latter. "He's such a crybaby."

"It's lonely being an only child." she tells the little one. "I'm honestly jealous that you have a cute little brother."

"He's not cute!"

"Oh but look at him."

The two turns to Ayato who was trying his hardest to wipe the table but because he was very short he couldn't reach it. He reaches for a chair and climbed up before he can reach the table.  **Cute**.

"Little brothers..." Touka muttered.

"You know it's your job to look after him. When he grows up, he'll learn to appreciate everything you did for him when you two are young." Irimi leaned on the counter where Touka was sitting. "So why won't you make him a cup of hot chocolate and reconcile?"

"If I'm going to be his big sister, I wish I have someone looking after me too."

"Uncle Yomo not friendly enough for you?"

"He's a grump." Touka says, of course the woman confirmed it with a smile.

"Then I'll be your big sister. Sounds good?"

"Really?!"

"Mm-hmm." she pats Touka in the head before reaching for a mug by the counter. "And big sis thinks you need to apologize to Ayato for bullying him." she hands over the mug to Touka who took it with her little hands.

"I'll do my best, onee-chan!"

Touka jumped off the counter and hurried to the kitchen to prepare the hot chocolate for Ayato and reconcile. Enji glanced over at her, giving her a signal that they talk later about the kids.

Irimi nodded and waited for Touka to prepare the hot chocolate before allowing the two kids to talk and reconcile.

"Ayato." Touka calls out to Ayato who was sitting alone in the chair after wiping the table alone.

"What?"

"I'm sorry. For blaming you."

Ayato was surprised to hear that from her. He looked up and saw that she placed a hot chocolate in the table.  _For him_. "Touka-neechan, do you really...?" Touka was blushing and just pushed the mug towards him.

"Just take it! I made it for you!"

"Thank you." Ayato said, smiling. Touka's blush deepened, she never realized he really was  **cute.**  Maybe taking care of him wasn't a nuisance after all. She just needed to show she cares.

"You're welcome,  _little brother_."


	15. Kirishima Sibling Arc (Part 2)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul.**

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, gotta make sure we wait for the main timeline to move on first hehe.**

**DAYS GONE BY TOKYO 15  
Kirishima Siblings Arc - EP2**

Little Ayato and Touka are given their own bedspace upstairs. The two are sharing the same bed too. But whenever the lights were off, Ayato would crawl closer to his sister.

"Touka-neechan…"

"Shh go to sleep Ayato."

"Can you sing me a lullaby song?" he requested but his sister turned her back on him. "Please. Just one line." He continued to request of her.

Touka sighed and faced him again, Ayato beamed widely at her. "Just one line." She wanted it to be clear and Ayato nods. "# _How many days have passed like this? This city the crowd is fading, moving on. I sometimes have wondered where you've gone.#"_

When Touka began to sing, Ayato slowly closes his eyes and kept his smile on as he drifted off to sleep. Touka finished the first line and smiled at her cute little brother now asleep.

She remembered their mother would sing it to them. And they'd josh their father to also sing at times but they end up laughing instead of falling asleep.

" _#Story carries on. Lonely, lost inside. I had this dream so many times. The moments we spent has past and gone away. Could there be an end to this?#_ " she fixes Ayato's hair and double-checked if he was already sleeping. " _#What I'm feeling deep inside. You know there's no looking back.#"_

Ayato kept his smile on even if he'd already fallen asleep, and the Touka couldn't help but continue singing for him. He was really a cute little brother.

" _#Glassy sky above…#"_  she trailed off when she heard him snore softly. She chuckled and ruffled his hair shortly. "Goodnight Ayato."

Just about to fall asleep, Touka closes her eyes only to be startled with Ayato screaming all of the sudden. "Aaaaaaaagh! Aaaaaaagh!"

"Ayato knock it off!" she shouts at him and she realized that a small and thin dark blue tentacle crawled out of his back. She gasped as she saw it. "UNCLE!"

Touka jumped out of bed and Ayato was screaming in pain and rolling around the bed by himself. "Touka-neechan help me! What is going on!? It hurts!" he cried out.

The door opens and Yomo turned the lights on. Behind him was Yoshimura, Enji and Irimi, all in their sleeping attires. They all turn to Touka who was trembling as she looked back at them. Then they turn back to Ayato who was in pain. Both his little hands were gripping on his head, his back in an arch facing upward and they see the lonely tentacle lazily wagging around.

Then they eyed the lump on his back. Looks like another tentacle was about to come out that's why Ayato was in so much pain.

"Ayato calm down." Yomo says and walked closer to put him in ease and Ayato was quick to throw himself towards his uncle and hug him tightly.

"It hurts! It hurts so much uncle! Please stop it!"

Yomo wrapped his arm around Ayato and the other arm over the boy's head. He turned to the manager with a worried look. It was natural to  _all_  tentacles to experience this sort of pain whenever they'd develop their tentacles for the first time.

Touka ran towards Irimi and the woman knelt down to comfort her. "What's happening to Ayato?" she asked in fear of what's happening to her brother.

"He'll be fine. He's just… manifesting his tentacles for the first time." Irimi explains.

"Enji, Kaya, make sure no one hears Ayato on the outside." Manager tells them. "Secure the perimeter." He instructs and the two nodded.

"Stay with your uncle and the manager." She tells Touka and she and Enji leaves to make sure no human hears Ayato. Otherwise they'll get the idea a tentacle is living in the area.

Yoshimura saw that Touka was not aware this was how tentacles are developed and the little girl was afraid. Perhaps for her brother and also for herself if she were to manifest her own tentacles one day. "Every tentacle will undergo this pain on the first day their tentacles manifest." He explains. "It is painful. Almost feels like you're delivering a baby."

Touka gulped. She doesn't want to experience this so much pain. "I'm scared. I'm not ready."

"No one is." Yoshimura tells her. "There is nothing we can do but comfort the one in pain until it's over."

Touka glanced up at Yoshimura who was also concerned for Ayato of course. Then she looked back towards her brother who was still crying in pain. Two tentacles were already hanging on his back and it seems that a third one was coming out.

His tears were pouring endlessly, sobbing in Yomo's arms.

"Be strong. Ayato."

* * *

**[Meadow – 20th Ward, 8:13am]**

"Touka-neechan! Aaah! Stop!"

Ayato was lying down the grassy field and Touka was sitting on his stomach and tickling him in his sides and his neck and Ayato helplessly defended himself from her.

"Come on beat me Ayato!"

"No I can't!"

"Use your three tentaces to fight me! Come on!"

"I said I can't!"

It was because of the loud shouts they were making that the two adults passing by and heard them from the sidewalk. Enji nudged his former rival in the arm and cocked his head towards the Kirishima Siblings.

"This is their 6th fight this week." Enji said as he threw a chip in his mouth and began to chew. "Reminds me of us back in the days, huh?" he said and chuckled. "Or more like you and Yomo who destroyed the wine shelf?"

"Or you and Yomo who destroyed the manager's favorite cup?" she shot back at him.

"Hey he kept that cup!" Enji defends and looked back at the losing Ayato. He sighed in frustration when he saw them. "I need to teach that boy some tips how to beat his sister." He mumbled and watched Ayato crawl away from Touka but could not escape from Touka. "Why are girls so violent?"

Enji then got smacked at the back of his head. "Come on before they kill each other for real." Irimi tells him and walked closer to them.

"Right." Enji followed and the two separated the kids.

Ayato was now hugging on Enji's stomach and hiding behind him while Irimi was holding tightly on Touka's collar to keep her in line. "No adults allowed!" she shouted at the two.

"I think it's obvious that you win this one Touka." Enji tells her.

"Maybe if he uses his tentacles to fight he gets a chance!"

"He isn't trained yet."

"AYATO!"

"NO!"

Enji eyed Irimi, asking for backup since Touka wouldn't listen. Yomo is away for a short mission right now and they were in charge of taking care of the kids unti he gets back.

Again, without experience, this is only based on what she thinks Touka would fall for. "Say Touka-chan," she starts to say to get her attention, "did you know that the manager wants to enroll you to a school this year?"

"Really!?"

Irimi turned back to Enji for help as well but Enji just motioned that she keep up her lie. "Y- Yeah. But if you keep on picking on Ayato, the manager will retract his decision."

"No let me talk to the manager! I'm sorry!"

"I want to go to school too!" Ayato says and Touka shot him a glare. "I can control my tentacles, I can blend in!"

"Yeah not a bad idea." Enji agreed. "I'll train you myself. If Touka has a big sister, I am your big brother Enji!"

"HOORAY!"

* * *

**[Sewers – 20th Ward, the next day]**

The following day, Touka was brought to school by the manager. Enji and Ayato were out in the sewers to train while Yomo and Irimi are on duty for general cleaning at the shop.

"Okay Ayato, remember, your tentacles are a part of you." Enji explains. "If they get hurt, you get hurt. But you can control them to protect you."

"Mm-hmm, got it." Ayato nodded.

Enji manifested three of his tentacles to show Ayato and the little boy was in awe. "It's perfect since you have three tentacles too. Now show me yours."

"Unngghh…!" Ayato concentrated to try and summon his tentacles but it wouldn't come out.

"No no, you can't force it like that." Enji says. "Do you feel like you have fingers you could move but at the same time it's not there?" he asked and the boy nodded. "They're a part of you and they listen to you. Just order them from the back of your mind to show up."

"It sounds more complicated when you say it."

"Uhm well…"

"How did you first manifest your tentacles Enji-san?" he asked and Enji blushed shortly and scratched his cheek with a finger.

"I uh… I was stealing a loaf of bread that time. I was just a boy." He says, not really proud to tell the boy his history. "The baker caught me and began to beat me, it was the first time that my tentacles appeared and protected me. I was so angry at the baker and… and he got  _hurt_."

"Why did you have to steal Enji-niisan?"

Enji looked up for a moment then back at Ayato. Looks like training will take some time. "In my hometown, it wasn't really civilized like this one. Homeless tentacles are called strays. I'm a stray and to survive, I had to steal. I don't have work like today and I have no family to take care of me."

"Were you scared?" Ayato asked with puffy eyes. He was very distressed to hear of Enji's situation.

"I was at first… but as time passed, I stood up for myself. And I became the Devil Ape." He summed up, not wanting to put too much gory details for the boy's sake. "But you're lucky, because you have a big sister like Touka, an uncle like Yomo and you have the manager, Irimi and  _me_. We can be your big brother and sister too!"

"And the manager is like a grandpa!" Ayato said and cackled.

Enji poked his nose and chuckled. "Yes like a grandpa. Now let's practice and we'll show big sister Touka how much you've learned when she gets back. Okay?"

"Okay Enji-niisan!"

* * *

**[Anteiku – 20th Ward]**

Yomo was mopping at the kitchen when he saw two bento boxes on the counter. He wondered if that witch did not wash it from yesterday so he checked it and saw that it was Ayato and Enji's lunch for today.

Enji must've forgotten to bring it with him. He sighed and searched for a paper bag to put the boxes in. He exited the kitchen to look for the witch.

"Hey bring this to Enji and Ayato." He orders but no one was at the shop. "Witch?" he turned to the counter and saw that no one was there as well. "Oi Irimi. I have many things to do so you do it!"

He then walked towards the storage room but no one was there as well.

Yomo began to frown and mumbled curses under his breath as he walked downstairs to a certain someone's room.

As he turned the knob, he began his complaints. "Hey I said I have a lot to do so you bring this to Enji and Ayato!" he tells her angrily and froze when he realized she was covering herself with a towel. "I uhm…"

"I never imagined you'd ever visit my room, eh Yomo-san?" she tells him with a calm voice but behind her was her black tentacles slowly turning crimson.

"No wait I didn't see your breasts or anything!"

One of her eyes twitched as oil began to drip from her tentacles' suckers. "Really now?" she says, seeing a bulge on his pants.

Yomo quickly slammed the door close before the oil would reach him. He was already aware that after just a couple of seconds it will spark into fire. He fell stumbled backwards and tried to calm his heartbeat. But he eyed his member that went hard for  _some reason_.

"S- She's not pretty…" he tells himself.

He ran back to the shop to wait for her to finish dressing up and talk later when she's ready. He wiped the tables while waiting until all the tables were shiny clean.

Irimi exits her room and sees that the shop was spotless of dirt. "Wow."

"I didn't see anything." Were the words that came out of his mouth when he saw her. His face couldn't hide the redness though.

"I was going to forget it so don't even mention it again or I will burn you alive." She warned him and he nods. "So what do you want?"

"Lock your frigging door!"

"My door has no lock, so does Enji's or yours." She reminds him and he pondered on it for a moment. "Then again, you forgot to knock so—"

"Let's not tell anyone it happened." Yomo concluded. "Take this to Enji and Ayato too." He handed the paper bag containing the bento boxes. "And don't mention anything!"

"Not a word." She assures him as she left the shop.

Yomo then folded his sleeves up and searched for the tool kit in the stock room. "No locks huh… then we'll put a lock on it." He mumbled as he checked all three doors that did not have a lock.

He remembered it was the manager's way of checking on them when they were… violent in the past. And also, because they kept on tearing down each other's doors.

"Darned lockless door." He cursed and entered the woman's room to open and close the door from the inside.

He was able to sniff a familiar scent within the area and turned his head towards the bedside table where a black jacket was neatly folded along with a gray tank top that he was certain belonged to his old friend.

"Uta." He says as he sniffed the clothes t confirm his suspicions. "How does he sneak in here?" he analyzed the room and sees the window that isn't locked as well. "AHA."

Chuckling as he locked the windows, he tapped a finger on his chin.

"Windows must have grills." He thought to himself. He will be buying a lot of locks for the door and grills for the windows. Or just this window to be specific.

* * *

**[Sewers – 20th Ward]**

Arriving at the sewers while carrying the paper bag, she was surprised to see that Enji was lying down on his own pool of blood.

Ayato was hugging himself in the corner, his tentacles covered in Enji's blood.

"Enji!"

Running towards Enji to see if he were still alive, she checked on his pulse. He was still alive no doubt and his wounds were healing. Irimi left the paper bag on the side. Ayato sobbed and watched Irimi roll Enji over and lean him on the wall carefully.

"I didn't mean to hurt him…" the boy says. "I couldn't control it."

"Ayato," she talks to him calmly, "just calm down okay?"

"Okay." The boy agrees and allowed Irimi to slowly inch closer to him. "But I can't control them. They hurt big brother!"

When he began to panic once more, the tentacles on his back took defensive stances, the tip hardening and she was sure it was sharp enough to pierce through a body as she saw to Enji. "No you didn't mean to hurt him."

"How could I do something like that?" Ayato said, glancing over at Enji who was unconscious and bleeding still even if he were healing. Ayato' heart ached when he saw his big brother-figure like that. "I'm evil…!"

"No Ayato wait, look at me, just look at me." She took a leap of faith and had one long step towards him to cup his cheek and positined his face to look at her eye to eye. "Just be calm. Think you can do that?"

"Yes I can do it." He agreed and kept his eyes locked on hers.

"Okay good, good." She was relieved to hear so and saw his tentacles slowly returning to his back.

But there was an unfamiliar scent within the area. It was the smell of trouble.

"Aya—"

**SMACKS!**

A tentacle smacked her hard and she flew towards the dark. Ayato froze but he was shivering out of intense fear. He turned to where the tentacle came from, seeing a man wearing a weird mask wearing a prisoner's black and white-striped outfit.

"I think I smacked the other one too hard." Shikorae tells his companion.

"It doesn't matter, we're only here for the kid." The man with a red iron mask says. "We should hurry before the one other one gets back and sees our face."

"Alright then. I'll finish her off." He says and walked towards the dark.

"W- Who are you?" Ayato asked as the two unfamiliar tentacles walked towards him. "Please don't hurt them."

"We just want you."

* * *

**[Anteiku – 20th Ward]**

The manager and Touka returns home happily. Touka had a party hat over her head and the manager also had one for some reason. She had two stuffed toys in her hand and was happily running upstairs.

"Ayato! Ayato look what I got for you!"

Yoshimura chuckled at the happy Touka and locks the front door. Yomo approaches him with a sad look in his eyes. Immediately, Yoshimura knew something happened.

"Uncle, I can't find Ayato anywhere. Isn't he home yet?"

"Touka…" Yomo was not sure how to say it. Telling the painful truth wasn't really his strong trait.

"Is he with Koma-san?" she asked and happily ran to the basement.

"No wait Touka!"

Touka arrives in Enji's room, seeing that it was half-opened. There she sees that Enji was unconscious and he had no shirt on. She can see plainly the holes that Ayato inflicted on his body. Touka froze. Enji was hurt? Then what about Ayato?

"Koma-san…"

She turned back and sees Yomo and Yoshimura who ran after her. They saw that Touka was in tears.

"Uncle… where is Ayato?" she inquired as she gripped on the stuffed rabbits on her arms. "Is he okay? Why is Koma-san hurt? Is Irimi-san hurt as well?"

"Touka, Ayato is not coming back." Yomo tells her. "I'm sorry."

"You're lying!"

"Touka!"

Pushing passed the two adult tentacles, she ran back to her room to lock herself inside and let out her cries while hugging both the rabbit stuffed toys that she won at the carnival that she and Yoshimura went to after enrollment.

Yoshimura turned to Yomo to get serious. "Who did this?"

"I don't know." Yomo replies. "The Clowns dragged Enji and Irimi back here when they found them in the sewers. And no it wasn't Uta. It was Roma and Nico."

"Both of them didn't see anyone?" Yoshimura asked.

Yomo wasn't sure himself since he wasn't at the scene. "No. Apparently both have them are implanted with nightmares. Enji was in a panic earlier but I put him to sleep. Irimi as well."

"I'll search for Ayato, look after them."

"Yes manager."


	16. Tentacle Fever

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul.**

**DAYS GONE BY TOKYO 16  
Tentacle Fever - EP1**

Enji wakes up the following day, seeing that his injuries have healed. The last thing he remember was Ayato's tentacles losing control the moment Ayato lost confidence in himself and accidentally hurt him. Worried for the boy, he jumped out of bed to check on Ayato but instead he fell on the floor, his feet was numb and he couldn't move it.

"What the?"

His door opened and he saw little Ayato walking towards him, still sobbing for what he's done. "I'm really sorry for hurting you, big brother Enji." he says.

Enji was hurt from Ayato's attack but he wants to make sure that Ayato will not think ill of himself. So he forced a smile. "Ayato, hey it's okay little guy. Big brother Enji is strong!" he tried to encourage.

"But look at you now."

"Just some cramps." he says to ease the boy's mind. But Ayato shook his head and stopped sobbing.

"No. You're just useless."

"What?"

"Without your tentacles, you're  _useless_."

"Ayato don't say that."

" **USELESS.** "

"I'M NOT USELESS!"

.

.

.

Falling off the bed,  **thud** , Enji realized it was all just a freaky dream. Someone as innocent as Ayato would never say stuff like that to big brother Enji. He sat up and stretched his legs and moved his toes. It seemed fine to him.

"What a dream..."

Then he looked at the time and saw that he was late for work. He was  _never_ late.

"Oh crap!"

* * *

**[HySy ArtMask Studio - 20th Ward]**

"Should I swear  _this_  dress or  _this_  one?" Itori asked as she showed Uta two similarly designed dresses but differs only in color and small patterns. But it was almost the same. "I feel like I should go in red but at the same time I want to go in black."

"Then go wearing both."

"I need an honest male's opinion because this night is special to me!"

Uta analyzed both dresses to try and decide what exactly he wanted her to wear. He doesn't see the difference and would be fine whichever she wears. But he couldn't tell her that because she will begin another half an hour ranting about women and beauty. So screw it and just randomly point at one dress. "I like that one." he says pointing at the black dress.

Itori's eyes studied the black dress in her right hand. "Hmm... it's good enough but I should really go in red tonight."

Uta was shaking his head as he slammed a palm across his face. So Itori wasted almost 45 minutes of his time today to ask which dress and in the end she was the one to choose which one she liked.

"It's reverse psychology. You want to ruin my date tonight so obviously you will choose the one that doesn't suit me." she bragged and threw the black dress in her bed.

"You said you wanted an honest opinion."

"Can I really expect anything honest from you?" she shot at him.

"I can be honest if I want to."

"And when is that?"

The two had a staredown for a minute or two before they hear Roma's voice outside of the room. So she's arrived from her trip to the Shadows. They better greet her or she will barge in their rooms and ransack their things.

When they exited the room, they see Roma standing up the table with both hands on her hips.

"What drug has she been taking now?" Uta mumbled.

"The I-just-did-a-good-thing-so-I-feel-like-a-hero drug." Nico replied. And the two nodded in understanding.

"Define 'good thing'." Itori says, knowing that Roma's definition of terms is different from theirs. Yes she's a little crazy and her screws are more than loose but the redhead still has a heart somewhere inside.

Roma heard them talking from behind her and she began to laugh out loud. A triumphant laugh that lasted for a minute and thirty seconds more before it expired. The three just waited until she finishes.

"I just saved our enemy!"

Nico leaned close to Uta to whisper, "she meant Anteiku's runts."

"Define 'saved'." Itori says, wanting to hear the specifics of this one. Again, the redhead's terminology is common but her definition but slightly altered.

"I was taking the shortcut route home using the sewers because I was able to sense someone was in trouble. Of course the 2% good in me says I should follow my instincts, so I did. And there I saw our two favorite filthy sellable products that worths one million yen each." Roma begins her monologue.

Uta and Itori heard her but they prefer Nico's translation of the story. "We were on the run so we went to the sewers and got lost. We happen to find the Devil Ape and Black Dober on our way."

"Of course, the  _unbeatable_  Gypsy does not want to admit she got lost in the sewers." Uta mumbled.

"When I saw them drowning and crawling towards damnation, I couldn't help but feel this- this, weird aching feeling in the organ in my body that pumps blood, I waited for them to beg me for help and then I carried them both in my back, dragged them out of the sewers and took them back to their doghouse!" Roma continued.

Uta and Itori definitely did not want to hear her side of the story that was a mix of exaggeration and probably just 2% truth in her story so they waited for Nico to translate what she was talking about. "They were both unconscious and injured. Roma forced them to wake up, only Black Dober was able to wake up and tell us the way out. As gratitude, Roma  _dragged_  them out of the sewers and told me to carry them until we reach Anteiku."

The story was clearer now and Roma shot Nico a glare. "That's the alternate story that they don't have to hear." She hissed.

"So that's why you feel so glorious." Uta teased.

"How did Anteiku thank you?" Itori asked, also teasing the redhead. "Or did you pick a bone with Ren-chan?"

"Heh, Renji  _bowed_  to me to express his gratitude!" Roma stated but Nico was quick to say something else.

"She did not say a word, I did all the talking."

"Fine, listen to the other side of the story instead." She says and pouted, crossing her arms.

Not wanting her to sulk, the two decided to change the topic where the redhead can be free to tease as she wants. "Say, Itori is going on a date tonight. Think her red dress would do?" Uta starts, immediately sparking up Roma's mood again.

"With the imaginary boyfriend?!" she says excitedly.

"I'd prefer you call him  _mysterious_." Itori says and Roma nods. "Well, yes him."

"Then let me choose a dress for you!"

* * *

**[Anteiku - 20th Ward]**

Enji was being his usual self while working. He would force a smile whenever anyone from Anteiku would look at me because he didn't want them to worry.

But since this morning he could not manifest his tentacles for some reason. He felt worthless.

"Hey Enji," the manager's voice got him out of his trance, "tonight it's you and me for perimeter check. Is that okay or do you want Yomo to take over?"

"No I'm ready and going manager!"

"Alright then."

Can he really go tonight? Or will he ruin things instead? Nah. There's no way. It's not like he'll need his tentacles to fight. The manager is  _with him_. Nothing to worry about.

* * *

_Later, at nightfall…_

Touka was already asleep in her room, tired from her first day at school. Irimi was also asleep in her room while Yomo was on closing duty. Yoshimura was changing into his perimeter check outfit.

"Yomo!" Enji made sure that the manager was still changing his clothes when he approached his friend who was closing up at the shop. "I need to talk to you about something."

"You're welcome." Was the silver-haired man's reply.

But Enji did not quite understand what he meant by that. "What?"

"For the lock on your door." Yomo clarified. "You're welcome." He says. "I realized there weren't any locks on our doors because of our previous fights and the manager got sick of hearing the door fall down so he—"

"Yes I am aware we have no locks but that's not what I wanted to talk about!"

"Is it about the windows?" Yomo wanted to guess but Enji is not getting where Yomo got all those ideas in the first place. He's had other problems. "I can also put up a grill in your room if you want."

"No I need your help! My tentacles won't come out and I- I feel powerless." He spilled the beans. "I'm going on a perimeter check with the manager but I can't- I mean I want to- but what if I ruin tonight because of it?"

"Your tentacles won't come out?" they heard the manager say behind them.

Both Enji and Yomo stiffened and turned to the manager who was standing, prepped for scouting. His mask was in his hand. "M- manager it's not what you think!"

"Ayato's attack must've injured you badly." He concluded.

"No Ayato did not hurt me bad, I- I can still—" Enji wanted to reason but the manager was already final with his decision.

"Yomo you're coming with me. Enji, you need to rest." The words that came out of his mouth were the exact words that Enji did not want to hear. "It's for your own sake."

"But manager I am not useless!"

"I didn't say that. I just think that you need to rest for your injuries to fully recover." Yoshimura tells the ginger-haired adult with concern.

"I  _am_  healed and already recovered!" Enji kept on pressing but the manager will  _not_  change his mind.

He may be one of the most dangerous tentacle in all the wards but there are some things he can't do too. He cannot guarantee Enji's full protection even if they are just out for a normal scouting. Unexpected things could happen.

"Manager I think he'll be fine." Yomo says to back up his friend but the manager shook his head.

"He's staying here. And that's final." Yoshimura said strictly and walked towards the basement. "Yomo, prepare for tonight." He said before walking downstairs.

Yomo turned to Enji who looked like his pride was shattered once more. He did not want it to end that way, that's why… "Don't worry, I will talk to the manager. Just stay put." He says to comfort him and the ginger-haired man nodded.

Yomo ran downstairs as well to go to his room and get changed, overhearing Yoshimura talking to Irimi.

"I'm sorry to wake you up, I know you have no duties tonight but I need you to look after Enji. He's not allowed to leave the shop until he recovers. Can I count on you?"

"Yes manager."

Yomo watched the manager leave before he  _knocks_  on the witch's door before entering. "I need your help." He began to say and froze when he realized that the woman was midway unbuttoning her sleeping shirt. "I swear I saw nothing!"

"If you knock, you wait for me to open it!"

"Okay okay, this is an emergency." Yomo changed the topic. "Enji is sick, I think. Whenever a tentacle has a fever, they cannot manifest their tentacles. But I think Enji is unaware of that and he's really depressed."

"An emergency, you need help, what else do you want to say?"

"I'll talk to the manager to give Enji a chance for a perimeter check. You know, treat him like nothing was wrong." Yomo explained in case she did not get what he wanted to say. "This way he won't be sad and the fever will be gone before he even realizes it's a fever."

"And my role in your plan is?"

"Just cheer him up until we get back." Yomo says with a shrug. "You care for Enji too, don't you?"

She glared at him for a few seconds before sighing in defeat. "Fine. But you are forbidden to ever enter this room again, you hear me?"

"I made the locks, you should be thankful." He gloats.

"Oh yes I saw the bars on my window but no lock on my door." She tells him firmly and Yomo glanced at the grill bars that he was proud to have installed there. But he pouted at the door. "Now, Get. Out."

* * *

**[Streets - 20th Ward]**

Raven and the Owl were jumping from rooftop to rooftop, looking down from time to time to check on the streets for any strays or unwanted tentacles trespassing their borders.

Raven needed to be quiet for another ten minutes before he got the courage to talk to the Owl about Enji's situation. And no better opportunity to say it when they had a short stop by the docks to rest. "Say, manager…"

"Mm-hmm?"

"About uh, Enji's… problem…"

Yoshimura was aware that Renji wasn't one to talk, so he allowed Yomo to express himself and he listened.

"He's got tentacle fever and I was thinking that, maybe we shouldn't be… uh, hard on him? Like, he can still do perimeter checks or be treated normally… I mean, it's like—"

"I know he has tentacle fever." Yoshimura says. "Ayato hit his vitals and supposedly he's dead but I guess he owes Gypsy for his recovery."

"Roma?"

"I saw the needle marks in his neck. Familiar shape in fact. I believe she had something to do with Enji's improved healing ability since his return. But of course, Gypsy won't let him get away without paying. Those nightmares he's been having must be the side effect of the quick healing." Yoshimura explained and Yomo was surprised he did not get that. "But I am afraid that if anything bad were to happen, Enji may… not come back alive."

"You protected us many times now. Why lose confidence?" he asked. It was rare for the manager to open up, and perimeter checks like this was always his chance to ask.

"I can only protect you  ** _after_**  the bad things had  _already_  happened, Yomo. I could not  _prevent_  it." Yoshimura explained his strictness. "That's why this time I'm taking precautions."

Yomo finally understood why. It must be really hard for a parent to look after his loved ones—his children.

"But I guess I need to explain to Enji everything I said." He added afterwards. "Also, you have a point. I shouldn't treat him this way."

"Should I call him so you two can continue?" Yomo offered and the manager nodded at him with a smile.

"Thank you Yomo."

* * *

**[Anteiku - 20th Ward]**

"Cheer him up, how the heck can I cheer up someone?" the woman mumbled while standing outside of Enji's room. "Treat him coffee? No make him coffee… err, maybe some potato chips would do…"

The door clicks open and she was taken aback to see Enji wearing his perimeter check outfit. The Devil Ape mask on his face. "I'm sneaking out!" but he was surprised himself to see that Irimi was outside his room. "Are you stalking me!?"

"No, actually, I was about to ask you to come with me… err, somewhere."

"R- Really!?"

"Yes but, you can't wear that to where we're going." She tells him and he excitedly closes his door to get changed in a hurry.

' _I guess I owe Uta and Itori for introducing that place to me…'_

* * *

**[Helter Skelter Club - 20th Ward]**

"Whoooa what is this place?" Enji asked in awe.

He stared at the lights flashing different colors and the shiny disco ball in the center at the ceiling. Men and women were all wearing party outfits and dancing everywhere. At the side were people drinking and chatting with each other. And loud music playing through the speakers.

"It's a club." She tells him. "You go here, spend your money, lose some stuff then get wasted. But you're just here to explore, you hear me?"

"I can sense that there are tentacles here too. It's a mix of humans and tentacles…" he said, eyeing the different dancers in the middle of the club. He was already drooling for one of the females. "This is better than a perimeter check."

_'So this is considered 'cheering up' right?'_

Enji ran towards the counter where a bartender was serving people of their liquor needs. He saw the different sets of liquor on the shelves behind him and then glanced at the women sitting by the counter.

"So many pretty girls…" he mumbled and wiped his drool. "How did you find out about this place?"

"What?"

"Do you also party here and get wasted?" he asked as he fixed his jacket and combed his hair with his hands. "Or does Uta lure you here and get you wasted?"

"I think those girls are waving at you, so why won't you go and say 'hi'?" she pushes him towards the group of women seductively winking at Enji.

Enji quickly got distracted and smirked at the women. "Hello ladies!"

* * *

**[Anteiku - 20th Ward]**

Yomo arrived back hme in a hurry to tell Enji the good news. But to his surprise, the shop was locked and no one was there. "What part of 'Enji stays here' did that witch not understand?" he muttered angrily.

He growled and was irritated before leaving the shop in search for the two.

' _They better not be in trouble or I am going to beat the hell out of them. I don't care if he's sick or she's hot, they're both going to get beaten by me.'_

* * *

**[Helter Skelter Club - 20th Ward]**

Exiting the club, Enji was laughing in joy after being able to find himself a harem and enjoying the full three hours with them in the private room the girls paid for.

Lipstick marks were still on his cheeks and neck. He did not want to erase them.

"This place is a blast! I'm definitely coming back here again!" Enji says, full of energy. His partner just following him quietly. "Aww come on, don't tell me you did not at least spend with anyone the whole time?"

"I think I've earned enough bad memories there already." She tells him in an unhappy tone and he laughs.

"Oh please we have all the time to talk about it!"

"We're going home."

"Okay, going home  _while_  talking about it!" Enji insisted.

But as they walked home, they were blocked by a group of men—humans—that were holding wine bottles in hand. They all had crooked smirks on their lips.

"Say hot stuff, want to come with us instead of stay with this bozo?" one of them says and eyed Irimi's curves. "What do you say we all share you in bed?"

"Who are you calling bozo, double-chinned jerk!?" Enji shouts angrily and Irimi pulls him back before a fight breaks out. The last thing she wants right now is trouble if she wants a day off tomorrow. "Don't stop me, he just insulted me!"

"I'm sure your insult skewered his confidence to ever face a girl again, so let's go." She tells Enji, not knowing she unintentionally riled the man up.

He smashes the bottle on the ground and stomped towards Enji, grabbing his jacket by force. "What did you call me!? Do you even know who I am!?"

Enji glared back at him and also grabbed the man's collar. "No but I think now I do. Every time I see your chin I'll know  _exactly_  who you are!"

The man was the first to land a punch on Enji's jaw. Causing Enji to retaliate of course. And since he was a tentacle, his punch was stronger. The man stumbled back to his team but they caught their boss before he could fall on the ground.

"Enji stop! We're going home!"

Enji turned back to her with a serious face. "I know you're worried about me. But I don't need  _them_ ," referring to his tentacles, "to tell me I'm strong."

He turned back to the double-chinned man with an angry glare. ' _And I will not allow anyone to disrespect you like that.'_

"Get him boys!" the double-chinned man orders his goons and they all dash towards Enji for a fight.

It was a tough battle but Irimi stayed in the side to give him the spotlight. She thought it was just about his pride as a man, like his usual ranting, not knowing it was something else. Yomo arrived beside her, seeing that Enji was in a pinch thanks to their numbers.

"Why aren't you helping him?" he asked, not wanting to misunderstand the situation.

"He wants to prove that he doesn't need  _it_  to be strong." She replied and he nodded. "I can't help him, can I?"

"Nah, it'll taint his pride to be helped by a girl." Yomo agreed. "Let me do the honors." He says and stepped forward to join the fight.

Enji was surprise to see him but he was happy that Yomo was there. He only beamed at Yomo before continuing to beat the crap out of these guys. One punch after the other and Yomo made sure that no one attacks Enji while his back was turned.

When all the goons were down for the count, he stood nearby and watched as Enji walked towards their leader to give the final blow.

"No wait man! Listen, I— I mean no harm. W- We can share the girl if you want!"

Enji punched him in the jaw and grabbed his collar once more, leaning his face close to the man. "You want to make love with someone, you treat them with respect. But this one is not someone you pick up from the streets. You hear me?"

"Y- Yes!"

He released the man and he runs for his life. Yomo heard their conversation and turned back to the woman standing a distance from them, waiting for them to funish their business. Then Yomo turned back to Enji. "You didn't finish him off." He says.

"She wouldn't want me to." Enji said and chuckled. "Besides, as a man I can't beat up someone who already surrendered."

Yomo smiled and patted him in the back. "I would've kicked your ass for sneaking out of the shop but… I guess you were a good man tonight."

"Thank you Yomo. Now let's go home before Touka wakes up."

"But I got the manager to agree and let you continue the perimeter check tonight." Yomo says but Enji shook his head.

"The manager knows what he's doing." Enji said. "Besides, I think I'm better off being a guard ape at home."

"Alright Enji. You win."

The two bumped their knuckles together and they heard Irimi clear her throat. "Hey are you two done yet? Can we go now before other guys starts popping out of nowhere?" she tells them and they both laugh.

"Don't worry, if anyone comes again we'll strangle them!" Enji teased.


	17. 3rd Ward Arc (Part 1)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul.**

**DAYS GONE BY TOKYO 17  
3rd Ward Arc – EP1**

_Many years later…_

It was a busy day, Anteiku was just closing up when a teenaged Touka entered the shop. Her backpack hanging on her shoulder and a thick set of papers in her arm.

Enji was mopping the floor, Irimi was wiping the tables and Yomo was at the kitchen, preparing dinner for them. The manager was in his office that hour.

"Ah Touka, welcome back!" Enji greeted when he saw Touka grumpily closing the door behind her and was headed for her room. "Bad day?"

"Not now Koma-san…" she mumbled.

Enji chuckled and watched as Touka ran to her room. "She's a mini-Yomo, eh?" he teased. "A female mini-Yomo. I think whether or not our Yomo is gone we're still accompanied by his successor."

"Uh-huh." The woman agrees.

"I'm betting you ten yen she'll come back to ask for help about something." Enji says and plunged the mop back on the pail. "What do you think?"

"Make it twenty yen and she'll come back to ask for my or Yomo's help. She'll ignore you." Irimi played along.

"The Devil Ape complies!"

Without waiting for another minute, Touka walks down, still holding on the thick papers in her hand. Her frowning-face was very similar to Yomo's when he's not in a good mood. No matter how many times Enji and Irimi would tell her about it, she does not believe she looks anything like her uncle.

"Say Irimi-san, did you see my uncle?" Touka asked, slamming the papers on the counter.

"Kitchen duty. Why?"

"I was hoping to ask for help about something…" Touka began to say and Enji began to laugh. Irimi tried not to laugh as well but Touka already got the idea. "You made another stupid bet about me?"

"You were predictable." The two adults teased.

"Ugh! Never mind!" Touka takes the papers with her and was about to walk away when she saw Yomo exit the kitchen. "Uncle!"

"Touka? What is it?" he asked and saw the set of papers in her hands. "Homework?"

"A project in school." Touka answered. "I- I don't get it and I don't want to ask for Koma-san or Irimi-san's help. They keep making bets about me and heck I look nothing like you and I am very far from being you!"

"You're my niece. There's at least a bit of me in you." When Yomo spoke, the two adults snickered in the background. Annoying Yomo, turning on his frown-face that made them laugh. "It's not funny!" he shouts at them. "What do you want me to do anyway?"

"Here." Touka showed the set of mathematical equations to solve. As he flipped the next dozen pages he sees a bit of chemistry problems and then history and English.

Koma and Irimi observed Yomo's reaction carefully, seeing that his eyes were wide and that he obviously  _does not_  understand a thing about the problems on the paper, causing them to start another fit of laughter.

"Would you two just stop teasing us already!?" Touka shouts at them in defense of her and her uncle. But it only powered up their laughter.

"You two are being ridiculous." Yomo tried to bait.

"Is it as ridiculous as the look on your face when you saw how difficult the questions are?" the two shot back at him and he blushed in embarrassment.

Yomo and Touka blushing in embarrassment rarely happens, but if it does, they are cute to stare at.

"I can answer this!"

Yomo slammed the papers on one of the tables and took one page to read the problem. He takes a pen from the counter and began to think. Touka waited for him to answer while the two braced themselves for another laugh time.

"Ah come on, even my grandma is better than that." Enji begins to add pressure.

"Poor Touka gets a bad score if you don't answer correctly." Irimi added and Yomo glared at them before staring back at the problem on the paper.

"I don't understand why Math has  _letters_  in it. I mean, it's only supposed to be just  ** _numbers_**  right!?" Yomo exclaimed and the two laughed once more. "Oh can you two answer it? Huh!?"

"Watch closely, this is how a Yomo asks for help." Enji fake-whispered but actually said it out loud.

Yomo gives both Irimi and Enji a page of two different math problems. "There. Let's see who's laughing now." Yomo challenged with a smirk. Touka just watched in the background. The three would often make a competition out of her or make a bet but mostly it was just them teasing Yomo for some reason.

"I wish I could answer  _but_  like you, I did not get the chance to be in school." Irimi says and hands the paper to Enji who had a smug grin across his face.

"I  **can**  answer it both within twenty minutes." Enji gloated.

"Hey I went to school, witch!" Yomo shouts. "I just… just got dropped out."

"Whoa you attended school? What kind of school is that?" the two asked out of curiosity. Yomo turns away and saw that Touka was curious as well.

"S- shut up."

They hear the manager shouted faintly in the background. He must still be in his office. The four kept quiet to wait for the manager to shout again, calling for both Yomo and Irimi. Enji bid them goodbye and waved Touka's project at them.

"Twenty minutes." He whispered and pointed at the clock as he began answering it.

Touka watched the two adults walk to the manager's office.

* * *

"Sit down." The manager said and the two sat down. One chair for each. "I'm sending you two to the 3rd Ward." He says flat out and the two blinked.

"The 3rd Ward?" Yomo asked.

"Yes."

"The 3rd Ward?" Yomo asked again and the manager nodded.

"The 3rd Ward? You're sending two of us?" Yomo asked the manager for the third time.

"Yes. You'll need a partner who is good with spying."

"I don't need a woman wearing a dog mask to assist me. I can do this by myself. She'll slow me down." Yomo said, having full confidence in himself. The said woman who was sitting on a separate chair beside him raised a brow on him.

"You think I'm interested working with you? I'd rather work with Enji." she retorted.

Yomo turned to her with a glare. "Like you two would get anywhere if you go in this mission." he retaliated.

The manager cleared his throat before their argument goes anywhere far. "I chose you, Yomo, because of your skills in combat and your strength. I chose Kaya because of her sensitivity with her surroundings and.. women's intuition."

"Women's what?"

"What kind of mission is this manager? Why does it require 'strength'?" mentioning the word strength and she glared at Yomo who growled in irritation.

"I don't even understand what kind of mission needs something like 'women's intuition'!"

"Infiltration, data gathering, I want to learn of 3rd Ward's current status. We received word that tentacles within the area are going missing one by one. They are calling for our help to figure out who's kidnapping the tentacles."

"Obviously CCG is doing that." Yomo proudly concluded.

"CCG doesn't 'kidnap' tentacles, dolt."

"Who told you that,  _'women's intuition'_?"

The manager sighed at their inability to work together. "Alright, Yomo, stay here and take over Koma's job." With that, Yomo's eyes widened.

"What? But I'm needed!"

"Strength can be replaced, 'women's intuition' cannot." Irimi tells Yomo who glowered at her.

"3rd Ward is Irimi's hometown. She knows the place better than any of us. If you two cannot work together then I will replace you with Koma." the manager explained and Yomo turned to the woman in shock. Irimi stuck her tongue out and he scowled.

"Fine. But I'm in charge of this mission." Yomo agreed. "You haven't been in the 3rd Ward for years, I doubt everything in there is the same as you remember."

"I may not be the same girl from the 3rd Ward, but it doesn't mean the place changed as well. People change, memories don't."

* * *

**[CCG Branch – 1st Ward]**

Kiyoko Aura and Shiki Kijima were passing by the nulletin board and saw that they are being temporarily transferred to a different ward for a few months.

"T- They're transferring me again!?" Kiyoko said in disbelief. "Seriously!?"

Kijima just chuckled as they reads the small details written in the paper. "Looks like the 3rd Ward is in need of our assistance. We should help them." He says.

"I can see that. But I don't get why they keep transferring me!"

"Just take it as an opportunity to… get promoted." Kijima tried to encourage. "They say 3rd Ward is crawling with tentacles. Each catch gives you a boost for promotion."

"I'm not really after the promotion." Kiyoko mumbled.

"Take it from me, you'll eventually enjoy doing what investigators do; blindly hunt for tentacles." Kijima says. "But for me, the real fun begins when you find that one tentacle that you will treat as some sort of competition."

"Right."

Kijima shrugged. "Well, better start packing then!"

* * *

**[Anteiku – 20th Ward]**

"The 3rd Ward? How long are you guys going to leave me with Koma-san?" Touka, who was lying down on Irimi's bed, asked. She watched the woman zipped her coat and let her hair down. "You can't leave me with Koma-san."

"He's going to help you with your homework. Uta and Itori are coming tomorrow to sub for us." Irimi answers her and was looking for her mask in the drawers.

Touka buried her face in one of the pillows, groaning in frustration. "He's going to talking about the Devil Ape stuff again…"

"Just nod and pretend you're amazed or something."

"I've been doing that, it's not effective." Touka mumbled as she hugged a pillow this time.

"Then go do another Yomo-face."

"What the hell is a Yomo-face?!" Touka exclaimed. "And why do you two keep comparing me to my uncle!?" Touka looked up and saw Irimi holding a mirror in front of Touka.

Touka was able to take a good look at her 'frown-face' that they keep saying was similar to Yomo. She had to admit, just a little more of her brows getting close together and her lips curved then she'll look like him. "That was uncalled for." She pushes the mirror away.

"Uh-huh." Irimi puts the mirror to the side and continued searching for her mask. "Did I misplace it somewhere?" she muttered.

"I thought you went to the artmask guy to fix it the other day." Touka says, remembering it.

"Yomo's going to compile his complaints again…" Irimi muttered once more, believing that Touka was right but Yomo will not like the delay.

"By the way, when can I get my own mask? I want to go on a perimeter check too." Touka said excitedly. "Maybe something like a tiger or a wolf. Something that scares the hell out of people when they see me!"

"Or something like a rabbit." She joked as she ruffled Touka's hair. "It's cute but deadly."

"No that's now how I want people to picture me!" Touka swats the woman's hand away and throws a pillow on her face. "Get out of here but make sure to come back fast!"

* * *

**[3rd Ward Borders, fences everywhere, 9:02am]**

"Alright, now remember I'm the Alpha male, you follow me lead. You got that?" Yomo said for the fourth time. The woman behind him just kept nodding. "I need to know if it's clear with you."

"Oh yes it's so clear that you almost seem transparent to me." She retorts and he snarled at her before wearing his mask and she did the same.

Yomo points at the gate where CCG checkpoint was checking everyone who enters and leaves the border. "I was able to do a quick scout a couple of hours ago. There are four gates around the 3rd Ward but this is the safest so we'll go through here. We'll have to—"

"Or we can climb the fence." She spoke.

"I was about to say that." He said, irritated. "Just listen before talking!"

"So many explanation that I don't think is necessary." She shot back at him and they both had a staredown for a moment before Yomo pulled away.

"Just shut up and follow my lead." He mumbled.

* * *

**[South Gate, Borders – 3rd Ward]**

A black car was among the many cars lined up outside. Kijima pressed a button at the side of the car and the window rolled down. He flashed his I.D. in front of the guard.

"First Class Investigator Shiki Kijima." He introduced himself. "With me is First Class Investigator Kiyoko Aura. We are transferred to assist with the pursuit of escaped convicts." He explained shortly and the guard nodded.

"Alright. Thank you for your help." The guard said and motioned for his companion to open the gate for them to enter.

"Thank you for your services as well." Kijima says and hit the pedal.

The two finally entered the 3rd Ward. He clicked on the CD player power button and music began to play inside the car. Kiyoko was surprised that he had  _this_  kind of habit and stared at him, not being able to contain her shock.

_#_ _kisetsu wa tsugitsugi shinde yuku zetsumei no koe ga kaze ni naru#_

"It helps clear my thoughts before we arrive at CCG." He explained and the music continued to play in the background.

_#iromeku machi no yoenai otoko tsuki wo miageru no wa koko ja busui#_

"This has to be a joke…" Kiyoko mumbled.

Kijima just laughed. "If it makes you better, we can sing it together." He offered and pinched the volume to raise it a bit.

_#doro ni ashi mo tsureru seikatsu ni ame wa Alcohol no aji ga shita#_

"The best part is only about to come." Kijima says but Kiyoko is not interested. In fact, she is beginning to regret accepting his offer to let her ride in his car in the first place.

"I can pretend not to know anything so please don't bother me." She tells him.

_#Apathy na me de samayou machi de kyodou fushin no Innocent ekimae nite#_

Kijima couldn't help but laugh. "Whatever you say then." He says and raised the volume some more until the speakers are booming thanks to the instruments within the music. Kiyoko eyed him shortly seeing that he was preparing to start singing. " _#_ _boku ga boku to yobu ni wa futashika na_ " he began to sing.

"Please let this nightmare be over soon." She wished quietly.

* * *

**[Post Office – 3rd Ward]**

"Okay, what we need is data gathering. Before we can take action, we need to find out where we can track down the missing tentacles." Yomo continued his discussion. "The post office is where we can get the information. We need quick hands to steal but don't get caught."

"Aye, aye sir." She said lazily and followed him into the office.

They saw the number of people inside. It was a thick crowd and it was very noisy too. Children crying, parents wailing and complaining, the employees were busy walking back and forth from their office to the counter and vice versa.

In the walls were pictures pinned on the board to see the set of missing people and children within the ward.

"Okay… I think stealing won't be a problem." Yomo says as he saw the ruckus. "Just grab something with a worthy information then let's scram." He instructs and ran to the side to start reading the posted information.

Irimi sighed and studied the number of missing posters. It was too many to keep track of and if Yomo plans on reading all of them then they'd waste their whole day. So she looked for just one kid that looks like her and grabbed it from the board, pushing through the crowd at the counter.

"Hey excuse me." She starts to say and the woman at the counter only glanced at her shortly before taking a sheet of paper and giving it to Irimi.

"List down all your concerns here and we'll get back to you later." She says and gives Irimi a ticket number. "You can check if your number is up." She cocked her head at the numbers flashing across the screen by the wall near the clock.

"Ah no, I already went here before. This is a follow-up thing."

"I'm sorry but with  _this_  many missing people everyday it's hard to keep track of things." The woman answered and spread her arms wide to show Irimi the number of people within the room.

"Then at least tell me where I can go to ask for help." She insist. "Look my son is missing!" she showed the paper she got from the board and shortly glanced at the information written there. "It's been months!"

"I know ma'am but there's really nothing—"

"If it were your son would you sit tight and wait?" she kept up the act. "His birthday is coming up and who am I to celebrate it with? He's lost out there, scared and alone and you people are doing nothing but piling up the list! Give me something, a name or an office, someone who actually cares!"

The woman sighed and took the pen from her ear to start writing on a piece of paper. "Look sweetheart, if you're really worried about your son, maybe you could've taken good care of him in the first place." She says. "But if you're desperate, they say a group of people are going to look for the missing ones. Some kind of cult, I don't know. You can join them if you want."

She crumpled the paper and gives it to Irimi. "Thank you."

"Okay, now get outta here."

* * *

Yomo was standing outside of the office, his arms crossed and he was vexed that Irimi was three minutes late. "I told you to grab what we need then we'll leave." He says when he saw her leave the office.

"What do you have?" she asked and he opened his jacket to show her the missing posters he stole from the board.

"We can read this and—"

Irimi gives him the paper that the woman gave earlier and walks away. "We're going there." She says. "You're welcome."

"I didn't thank you. And I would never." He says and takes the paper from her hand. "'Kuroi Dabazu', what the heck is this?"

"I don't know, some sort of group that wants to help find the missing."

"Missing  _humans_." Yomo tells her. "You're aware we're looking for…  _tentacles_  right?" he says, wanting to point out her mistakes to refrain from expressing his gratitude.

"That's why we'll find out."

When Yomo noticed she's taking lead, he ran in front of her and made sure he took lead. "I'm  _leading_." He declares. "I'm the Alpha male, remember?"

"Okay. But we're taking a left at the end of the street."

"I know that."

"Then we're going to the right at the first block."

"I also know that, stop dictating me!"

"…"

"Where's the end of the street? This is an intersection."

"Heh. Heh."

"SHUT UP."


End file.
